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Champions League preview: Allegri expecting Barcelona shootout

Barcelona beat Juventus in the 2015 final
Barcelona beat Juventus in the 2015 final

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has promised to throw caution to the wind against Barcelona in tonight's Champions League quarter-final, saying it is impossible to keep a clean sheet against the Spanish side's attack.
           
Instead, Allegri said he would throw on all his best attacking players in an attempt to outscore his opponents in the first leg at the Juventus stadium.
           
"It's impossible to think about playing two 0-0 draws and winning on penalties," the Italian said.
           
"All the four or five attacking players will play, I don't see any reason why we should have to do without them.
           
"It's a great challenge and we have to play with the confidence that we can beat Barcelona."


           
Allegri did not name his team but his comments suggest that Croatia forward Mario Mandzukic and Colombia winger Juan Cuadrado will both play in addition to the attacking pair of Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala.
           
"It's always good not to concede a goal when you play the first leg at home but that is going to be difficult this time and it is likely they will score," admitted Allegri, even though his side have conceded only two goals in the competition.
           
"Barcelona have those three in attack but they also leave space behind," he said referring to Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar. "You have to play on their weaknesses.
           
"We've changed a lot in recent years, we've grown in self-confidence and awareness in the Champions League.
           
"Juventus should be used to playing games like this. Juventus have important qualities and we need to show them on the pitch, while knowing the difficulties we'll face against a great team."


Barcelon qualified for the last eight with an incredible second-leg 6-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain at Camp Nou last month, becoming the first team to overturn a four-goal first-leg deficit in the knockout stages.

Striker Suarez says that the comeback has given them belief but warned that Juventus will be another big test.

"We knew that we had the ability to create a miracle, and we made history that night," said Suarez.

"It does give you confidence when you have performances like that - but every test in the Champions League is a big one - and there are not many bigger tests than Juventus.

"They are one of the best teams in Europe, they are playing very well in Italy, and have some special players, but we know that we just have to concentrate on ourselves.

"We will play our way, we will not compromise our style, and if we do that well then we are always confident that will be enough.

"One of the big reasons I joined Barcelona was to win the Champions League. I have done it once and now I want to do it again."

Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel believes his side are slight underdogs against Monaco in the night's other quarter-final clash.

The Germans welcome the Ligue 1 leaders to the Westfalenstadion on before travelling to the principality for the return leg next Wednesday.

Dortmund sit fourth in the Bundesliga table after suffering a 4-1 defeat at rivals Bayern Munich on Saturday and Tuchel feels Monaco's superior domestic form may give them a small advantage.

"Monaco have lots of players who impress us," he told uefa.com. "We think they have outstanding individual talent, but they are also very compact as a team and athletically very strong.

"It's a very complete package with an outstanding coach who has a distinctive style. They have big personalities and a lot of good young players.

"It is a 50-50 game, but the momentum (is) slightly on their side. But we feel ready for this great match, to show what we can do and to win it."

Monaco midfielder Fabinho is keen to emulate the side which reached the final of the competition in 2004, but admits elimination would "not be a disaster".

Leonardo Jardim's side are currently three points above champions Paris St Germain in Ligue 1 and Fabinho believes winning the domestic championship is more important than progressing in the Champions League.

Monaco have not been further than the quarter-finals of Europe's premier competition since they lost 3-0 in the final to Jose Mourinho's Porto 13 years ago.

"In 2004, it was an unprecedented event for Monaco," Fabinho told the club's official website. "It's a different time, but nothing is impossible in football. We're not the best team or the favourites, but we're going to give it our all.

"The priority is the championship, but we want to continue our way, it is a competition apart. If we are eliminated it will not be a disaster."

Monaco's chances have not been helped by the loss of defender Djibril Sidibe, who is in hospital being treated for appendicitis, while midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko, who scored the deciding goal in the last round against Manchester City, is suspended.

Fabinho insists they will continue to play the attacking football which has seen them net 88 times in 31 league games as they approach the business end of the season.

The Brazilian, who has scored eight of those goals, plus one in the European victory over City, added:

When we saw we were going to play Dortmund, we knew they were going to be very difficult opponents in their attacking play, and with the talented young players they have. In those respects, they are similar to us.

"They have an excellent team, with a bit more European experience than us, but we're going to try to stand up to them.

"The style we play is not going to change, it has got us this far, so we'll try to play the same against Dortmund."

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