Cristiano Ronaldo VS Neven Subotic
The biggest threat of the night for Jurgen Klopp will come from Cristiano Ronaldo. Although the Portugal international has always been overshadowed by Lionel Messi, his statistics are equally astonishing and mind-boggling.
This season, he has already scored 46 goals in 45 games, with 11 of those coming in 10 Champions League outings. During his career with the La Liga giants, Ronaldo has averaged more than a goal per game.
Though a winger by trade, Ronaldo has a tendency to cut inside and run through the middle where he is most threatening. This is the position where he can hurt Dortmund which means that Neven Subotic will keep on crossing paths with him regularly.
The Serbian international is arguably one of the best defenders in Europe at the moment and his no-nonsense approach towards defending is exactly what is required to control the beast that Ronaldo is.
Mario Gotze VS Sami Khedira
Dortmund will be looking to put the disappointment of the impending departure of Mario Gotze to Bayern Munich behind them as the young midfielder is a vital part of everything good that the team will do in offense.
Despite his young age, the 20-year-old has already proven to be a big star in the making and even though he is in his final days at Dortmund, the youngster would be looking to prove just why he was so highly rated by Munich who met his release clause a few days back.
Although there will be a lot of pressure on the youngster, the fact that he is both a creator and a goal scorer means that Dortmund will be looking to make full use of their star man.
Keeping him quiet will be a difficult task for anyone so it will not be surprising if Jose Mourinho decides to put some extra responsibilities on Sami Khedira who will pull the strings from the deep for his side. Sami Khedira is known for his work ethic and might exactly be the antidote to Gotze’s brilliance.
Jakub Blaszczykowski VS Fabio Coentrao
In the past three seasons, Jakub Blaszczykowski has been one of the club’s most influential players. The winger has great pace and has quickly become one of the finest players in Germany. The Poland international has this habit to cut inside and unleash ferocious shots on goal which means that Fabio Coentrao could be in for a long night.
Blaszczykowski will also have to track back and be aware of his defensive duties. Coentrao is an explosive full back and can cause menace in the opposition half if given the opportunity. With Ronaldo already operating on the left side, it will be down to Blaszczykowski to help out Lukasz Piszczek in his defensive duties.
Ilkay Gundogan VS Mesut Ozil
It will be quite interesting to see the performances of Gelsenkirchen natives, Ilkay Gundogan and Mesut Ozil. Gundogan is one of the best passers in the BVB squad and has great technique. Despite his young age, the German international has already established himself in the starting eleven and has improved a lot over the course of the current campaign.
The former VfL Bochum man has also worked hard on his defensive responsibilities which is why he seems a different player from the one who signed for BVB back in 2011.
In both group games against Real Madrid, Gundogan worked tirelessly and kept winning back possession for his team along with Sven Bender and if he repeats similar performances, BVB will have every chance to make their home advantage count.
Mesut Ozil on the other hand, has become an indispensable member of Jose Mourinho’s side. The German international had difficulty coming to terms with Dortmund during the group stages However he has been in a better run of form as of late, and has scored four goals in his last three appearances for the club and might be looking to better his scoring rate against the former German champions.
Sergio Ramos VS Marco Reus
Suspension to Alvaro Arbeloa will probably see Sergio Ramos return to his former right back position. During his full back days Ramos was seen as an incredible attacking outlet, but tonight he will have to surrender his attacking expeditions and concentrate more on his defensive responsibilities since he will be against the threatening Marco Reus.
Reus has been one of the coups of this season and has seamlessly settled to life in Dortmund. The dynamic winger has scored 16 goals in all competitions including the opening goal in the group stages against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.
Therefore it will be vital that Sergio Ramos pays importance to his defensive duties in tonight’s tie.
Individual brilliance can have a major influence on the score tonight. It will be highly essential that the aforementioned individuals give in their all to defy any sort of opposition from their counterparts and help their respective teams in qualifying for the final be played at Wembley.
