A fter two of arguably the worst months of the Georgian calender, Champions League football is back. And it’s here to stay (until May). So while the Niagara Falls may be frozen in place, join us at Just Football in welcoming the first and most entertaining sign that Spring is in the air.

Ahead of Bayer Leverkusen‘s face-off with last year’s runners-up, Atlético Madrid, Edward Stratmann offers his three most intriguing match-ups in a game full of tactical intrigue…

Arda Turan vs Wendell

Atlético Madrid‘s Turkish star will look to wreak havoc down the right and exploit the less experienced 21-year-old left back, Wendell.

Turan is such a difficult man to match up on, for he’s strong, can hold the ball up, is skillful and has a knack of producing when his side needs him most. Manager Diego Simeone knows it too. “Arda is at a point where he knows he’s a game-changer and the team needs him. In the time he’s been with us, he’s grown defensively. He has natural-born talent,” he said.

The 28-year-old also drifts infield cleverly to both create space for his fullback and to exploit pockets himself, which will keep Wendell, as well as the Leverkusen midfield and defence, on their toes.

Wendell won’t be a walk over for Arda though. He’s averaging 5.3 tackles per game and 2.3 interceptions per game in the Champions League so far. While on the attacking end, the pacy fullback has been averaging roughly one shot, successful dribble and key pass per game, which is a good output for a player of his position.

Atléti will surely be looking to gain the ascendancy down the right, but if Wendell can continue his solid form for Leverkusen in this match, we should be in for a fascinating battle. And potentially a game changing one, too.

Mario Mandžukić vs Leverkusen’s defence

Mario Mandžukić will be another hugely important component for Atléti in their quest to conquer Leverkusen. On his day, the Croatian can be virtually unstoppable – he links up play well, is a monster in the air and scores plenty of goals (he’s scored 19 goals this season, five of which came in the UCL group stage).

Against Real Madrid in his side’s recent 4-0 victory, Mandzukic showcased brilliantly just why he’s such a damaging proposition. By constantly switching with Antoine Griezmann, he successfully created confusion against the Real defence.

In addition, the 28-year-old made intelligent runs into the channels on both flanks, exploiting the space in behind the opposition fullbacks. This tactic worked wonders, as it dragged his opponent with him and allowed his wingers and fullbacks to make dangerous outside-to-in runs right into the central spaces he created.

The domineering target man, who wins an incredible 3.1 aerial duels a game, will be sure to make life extremely difficult for the Leverkusen defence. When parlayed with the pace and power of his strike partner, Griezmann, this Atlético attack really is capable of crucifying any opponent.

Leverkusen defenders Emir Spahic and Omer Toprak will definitely have their work cut out, but they are both very accomplished and experienced defenders, who are used to facing top quality opposition. Unfortunately for Leverkusen, though, Toprak will miss the first leg due to suspension, which will probably mean Kyriakos Papadopoulos will come in.

Worryingly, when Toprak was suspended and Papadopoulos played against Wolfsburg, Leverkusen conceded five, which doesn’t bode well looking ahead to the first leg. So, with this in mind, they might find things very challenging in their quest to stop the Atléti strike force.

Plenty of support from their midfielders and fullbacks will be a must if they’re to stand any chance of limiting their influence. But if they can work hard, keep up their concentration and remain diligent as a unit, Bayer might just be able to stop them.

On a side note, the German outfit’s defenders will need to be sharp with their distribution from the back, as Mandzukic and his fellow attackers press with intent and desire.

Gabi vs Hakan Çalhanoğlu

Atlético’s hardworking, all-action captain will have another vital role in this tie. In all likelihood he’ll be the man charged with keeping tabs on Leverkusen’s wildly talented attacking midfielder, Hakan Çalhanoğlu.

Gabi, who always puts his body on the line for his side, will be sure to make life difficult for the Turkish star by using his physicality, never say die attitude, and tenacity.

Çalhanoğlu can be a rather elusive opponent, though, for he’s excellent at finding space, technically superb, quick and can be lethal on the counter too. Moreover, Atlético will have to make sure they don’t give away many fouls around the eighteen-yard box, as the 21-year-old is a sublime set-piece taker.

Whether the class of Çalhanoğlu or the grit and determination of Gabi prevails, we’ll just have to wait and see, but this looms as another pivotal duel.

SEE ALSO: The 10 Series: Hakan Çalhanoğlu and nine other impressive young Bundesliga stars.

A ll in all, this tie between two powerhouses of their respective leagues looks set to be an absolute beauty. While Diego Simeone’s Atlético will justifiably be favourites, the dynamic brand of football Roger Schmidt has Leverkusen playing will be sure to provide last season’s runners up with a stern test, and if they get things right, we might just see them prevail.

Only time will tell who’ll progresses to the next stage, but one thing that can be guaranteed is both sides will be fighting tooth and nail in their quest for victory. Their managers will ensure it.

For more coverage of the beautiful game – including the Champions League – follow Just Football on Twitter:

Edward Stratmann writes regularly about the on-field aspects of the game, with a particular focus on tactics and analysis. In addition to featuring on Inside Spanish Football, The Eagles Beak and JuveFC, you can also find Edward’s work at Licence to Roam, a football blog he started with his brother in 2013.

Cover photo courtesy of Александр Осипов via Flickr Creative Commons.