Juventus supporters hope coach Massimiliano Allegri can pull one of his surprises out of the hat as their team attempts to overturn a 2-0 deficit at home to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last 16 Tuesday. Although he was outsmarted by his opposite number Diego Simeone in the first leg, when three quickfire substitutions knocked Juve off balance, Allegri has often been in his element when he is apparently on the back foot. "The more complicated it is, the more I enjoy it," he said after Friday's 4-1 win over Udinese by his Serie A leader. "If I have to think up something new, I prefer it that way." Only nine teams have ever overcame a two-goal deficit in the Champions League knockout stages, with Manchester United becoming the first to do it away from home when it won 3-1 against Paris St Germain Wednesday. On the eight occasions it has been achieved by a home team, only three have managed it without an away goal in the bag. Juve will also be up against one of the competition's best-organized defenses and Allegri will be without two full backs because Mattia De Sciglio is injured and Alex Sandro suspended. He also needs to make sure Cristiano Ronaldo is not starved of service as he has been in some recent games. One possibility, Allegri said after the Udinese game, would be to switch to a three-man defense. That would probably include Martin Cacares, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. Joao Cancelo and Federico Bernardeschi would likely play on the flanks, with Miralem Pjanic organizing the midfield and Blaise Matuidi and Emre Can offering a more physical presence while Mario Mandzukic would partner Ronaldo in attack. "A three-man backline is a possible solution," said Allegri. "But we will need to read the game because it could take 120 minutes." Another formation, according to Italian media, would feature Caceres and Cancelo as full backs in a four-man defense with Bonucci and Chiellini in the center. Can, Pjanic and Matuidi would form a three-man midfield with Mandzukic, Ronaldo and Bernardeschi in attack. As with the previous option, that would mean no place for playmaker Paulo Dybala. The Argentine would only likely be used in the 4-2-3-1 option which could see Pjanic on the bench. Can and Matudi would play in front of the defence, with Dybala as the playmaker, Mandzukic and Bernardeschi on either side of the Argentine and Ronaldo in attack. Good chance for City "We are still not ready to fight for the latter stages, that is the reality," Pep Guardiola's reaction to beating Schalke 3-2 in the first leg of Manchester City's Champions League last 16 tie was not that expected for the competition favorites. City manager Guardiola was frustrated that after taking an early lead in Gelsenkirchen, his side conceded two penalties to a side ranked 14th in the Bundesliga before Nicolas Otamendi's red card left the Premier League champions to play the final 22 minutes with 10 men. "We gave away the first penalty, we gave away the second penalty, we gave away the red card. In this competition that is not good, too many things. When it happens in other stages, it is over." The fact City still had the individual talent to come from behind a man down thanks to a brilliant Leroy Sane freekick and Raheem Sterling's injury time winner shows why they remain on course for a historic quadruple of trophies this season. However, for the varying degrees of glory retaining the Premier League title or winning the FA Cup would bring to add to the League Cup won last month, it is the Champions League that City and Guardiola most desire. The Catalan coach had to field questions before the first leg against Schalke over his failure to win the competition since doing so in two of his first three years in charge of Barcelona in 2009 and 2011. Over a decade into the club's Abu Dhabi-backed ownership after billions of pounds invested and three domestic titles, conquering Europe remains the mountain City still have to climb. They may also never get a better chance than in the next few months. A UEFA investigation launched this week into allegations City broke financial fair play rules risks the sanction of the club being banned from the Champions League for a season. Moreover, the Champions League has rarely been so open for a new winner. Manchester United, Tottenham, Ajax and Porto are the sides to have so far booked their place in the quarterfinals, none of whom made the last eight last season. Real Madrid, winner for four of the past five seasons, is already out, as is free-spending Paris Saint-Germain. Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus look set to follow unless it overcomes a 2-0 deficit against the notoriously hard to beat Atletico Madrid, while one of Liverpool — City's Champions League conqueror last season — or Bayern Munich — semifinalists in six of the past seven seasons — will also be eliminated this week. — Agencies
