Can Serie A sides prevent clean sweep of Champions League eliminations?

The final eight places in the Champions League Round of 16 will be decided this week, and with it, the very real possibility of heading into the knockout round without a single Serie A side. 

Last week's first-leg showings became a nightmare for both Inter and Juventus, while Atalanta have it all to do in what always looked like a tough tie to call. 

Yet, with all three having a job on their hands to reach the next stage, we could see a last 16 without an Italian team for the first time since 1987, before the competition even became the Champions League. 

Inter to avoid embarrassment 

Inter head into their second leg of the Champions League play-off, with one hand on the Serie A trophy following the weekend's results. 

The Nerazzurri are 10 points clear at the top of the table, yet their Champions League future is hanging in the balance thanks to a team who aren't even currently in a domestic season. 

Bodo/Glimt already pulled off major shocks in the league phase by beating both Manchester City and Atletico Madrid, but then repeated the trick last week by defeating last year's runners-up in the Artic Circle. 

It was a fully deserved victory too, for the Norwegians, who head to the San Siro defending a 3-1 lead and looking to dump Inter out of the competition. 

It's a game and a stage where Cristian Chivu's big-game players really need to show up and avoid another Champions League embarrassment. An early goal is almost imperative if Inter want to turn around the tie, or they could be the victims of one of the biggest knockout upsets in recent Champions League history. 

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Juve's miracle mission 

Juve's defeat to Galatasaray in Turkey wasn't at the same shock level as Inter, but the scoreline by which they were beaten certainly raised some eyebrows. 

The Old Lady faced one of the toughest away days of the round, but to leave having been soundly beaten 5-2 was not only a shock result but sees them on the brink of elimination from a competition they worked so hard to get back into last season following Thiago Motta's disappointing reign. 

The good news is that the Turkish side don't traditionally travel well and have only won one European game on the road this season, but they head to Turin with a three-goal advantage in their pocket, knowing the tie is completely in their hands.

Luciano Spalletti's men have the tools and the attack to get goals, but in a season where Juve have been prone to erratic results, it's hard to see them getting themselves out of this one. 

Can Atalanta break down the yellow wall? 

Atalanta easily had the hardest task of the three Serie A sides in getting through to the Round of 16, and so it proved in Germany. 

Raffaelle Palladino's side were on the wrong end of a 2-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund and now have an uphill battle in turning the tie in their favour. 

The Italian's are in good form, having not lost in the league this calendar year and come into the game having seen off current Scudetto holders Napoli at the weekend. 

Dortmund, though, have only lost ONE game all season in the Bundesliga, and has only failed twice to make the Round of 16 since 2013. 

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