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Tuesday at 2:45 p.m. (EST), it all goes down.
Either we are witnessing the greatest fall from grace, or the start of one heck of an epic comeback. Dortmund is currently 15th in the Bundesliga, just a single point ahead of the relegation zone, yet they have been on fire in the Champions League. If Dortmund goes on to win the Champions League only to be demoted domestically, it would be the first time ever in the tournament’s 65 year history.
Dortmund, a team known for their quick counter-attacks and direct style of play, is no stranger to being the underdog. In their 2013/14 Champions League run they beat Real Madrid 4-0 in the first leg to move on to the finals. In the end Dortmund lost to domestic rivals Bayern Munchen, but it was a very impressive run none the less.
Starting the season with a World Cup championship for Marco Reus and Mats Hummels, you might expect them to carry that momentum on into the Bundesliga. But both of these star players have been plagued with injury this season. Rues has only scored five goals in 11 matches, compared to 16 goals in 30 league appearance in the 2013/14 season. The same goes for Hummels, with only 10 appearances this season compared to 23 appearances last season. With games still to play until May this number will likely rise, and it gives some explenation of Dortmund’s demise.
What draws even more concern is Dortmund’s current line-up, which is nearly the same as the squad that achieved great success only two years ago. Besides the departure of Robert Lewandowski, Dortmund has only improved their squad, negotiating the return of Shinji Kagawa and Nuri Sahin. But those two seem to only be a shadow of their former selves, with a goal each this season.
On the other end of the spectrum is Juventus, currently seven points ahead of Roma and 12 points ahead of Napoli in Seria A. With Paul Pogba on their side, Juventus is dominating in the domestic league, but have everything to prove in the Champions League, barely moving past the group stages with a tie against Atletico Madrid.
According to Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, "If Juve want to win the scudetto and be acknowledged for it by everybody without any controversy, they need to win it by 15 points."
If you need to win by 15 points, why not challenge yourself in Europe a little Buffon?
The other Champions League matches are just heating up this week, but the best is always saved for last.
Updated February 22nd
About 48 hours before Juventus and Borussia Dortmund take the pitch in Italy, Gianluigi Buffon and Marco Rues sat down and had a hilarious head to head interview with one another. Rues wouldn't disclose his favorite spot to place a penalty and Buffon said he has no weaknesses. Hopefully both of these things are tested on Tuesday.
