Champions League: Suarez Makes England Return, Red-Hot Juve Host Dortmund

The best player in the English Premier League last season, Luis Suarez, will make a return to England tonight with his new club Barcelona in a Champions League last 16 clash against Manchester City.

The Uruguayan who dominated headlines in England during his 4-year spell at Liverpool will once again be a point of focus as the Catalans go for victory at the home of the Premier League champions. Suarez failed to score in any of Liverpool’s 6 meetings against City at the Eitihad while he was in England.

Luis Enrique’s men go into the match fired up to atone for the shock 1-0 loss they suffered at Camp Nou at the hands of Malaga in their La Liga match this past weekend. City on the other hand had a robust matchday thumping Newcastle 5-0 in the Premier League.   

Manuel Pellegrini’s City will have revenge written all over their faces having lost to Barcelona at the same stage last season. The Catalans won both legs, 2-0 at the Eitihad and 2-1 at Camp Nou with City playing a man less in both fixtures.

The Premier League side will be without Yaya Toure who will be serving the last of his 3-game ban for his red card against CSKA Moscow while James Milner will also sit out due to injury. Jordi Alba is the only injury concern for Barca.

Meanwhile Borussia Dortmund will be seeking to hand Juventus their first home defeat since April 2013. BVB who have won their last three Bundesliga matches to steer them away from the relegation zone face the Turin giants whose only loss at home was against Bayern in 2013. Masssimiliano Allegri’s men opened a 9-point advantage at the top of Serie A after beating Atalanta 2-1 with Roma drawing 1-1 at Hellas Verona.

Jurgen Klopp’s side last met the Old Lady in the 1997 Champions League final which Dortmund won 3-1, their only triumph in the competition’s history. Juve will be seeking for a fine result which would put them in the driving seat ahead of the second leg. The Serie A champions have failed to advance past the last 16 since 2002-03 when they lost to Milan in the final.

Stephan Lichtsteiner, Arturo Vidal and Patrice Evra could make their return to the starting IX but the likes of Andrea Barzagli, Luca Marrone and Alessandro Matri are doubts with Kwadwo Asamoah totally out.

Kevin Grosskreutz is Dortmund’s main injury concern but there are fitness doubts for quintet, Sven Bender, Erik Durm, Mats Hummels, Ciro Immobile and Sebastian Kehl.

And That’s thesteifmastertake!!