Despite the interesting battles between Ibrahimovic and his former club Barcelona as well as Jose Mourinho taking on the Didier Drogba led Galatasaray, the matchup of the quarterfinals is undoubtedly that of Bayern Munich versus Juventus.
The German leaders and Italian champions have had solid campaigns, but neither club has been flawless. The Germans lost 2-0 in their final leg against Arsenal and struggled at times during the group stage. Meanwhile Juventus struggled to score in its first few matches of the group stage but has since been immaculate on defense.
The Germans will host the first leg and Juventus defender Dante knows the challenge ahead for his squad. "We'll have to play a perfect game at the Allianz Arena," Dante told Tuttosport during an interview last week. "We have to get a positive result ahead of the return leg in Turin.
"I expect a very difficult match, tough, a battle and a complicated one for us," he added.
However, he indicated that he was confident in his squad's chances. "Juventus are going through a good run of form. Gigi Buffon is one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini are the foundations of a solid defense that doesn't concede a lot."
He noted that, "Andrea Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio control the midfield. They'll give us a lot of work to do."
Juventus Goalkeeper Buffon added that Juventus poses a great challenge for Munich. "I don't think they'll be happy to face us, meaning we're respected and possess a certain fear factor." However, it will be tough to try and win it. There are three or four teams, including Bayern, who have a better Champions League record than ours in recent years. But the good thing is that everyone starts off on a level playing field. A slice of luck or detail could be the difference."
The first match takes place on April 2 with the second leg being contested on April 10.
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