The tie between Real Madrid and Juventus headlines the first round of fixtures in the Champions League quarter-final first legs in what is a repeat of last year’s final, writes DEAN WORKMAN.
Real Madrid may not be having the best of seasons on the domestic front, but it’s been business as usual in the competition they have dominated over the last few seasons. Los Blancos have won three out of the last four titles and became the first side ever to defend their Champions League crown last season as Zinedine Zidane guided them to their second consecutive Champions League title.
Zidane’s men finished runners-up in their group behind Tottenham Hotspur which saw them get drawn against Paris Saint-Germain in the round-of-16. PSG were looking to crack European football after signing Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, but Madrid’s big game experience proved too much as they beat the French side 3-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu and 2-1 at the Parc des Princes for a 5-2 aggregate victory.
Many consider Zidane’s team as favourites for the competition and with star man Cristiano Ronaldo finding his form at the right time, they will undoubtedly be looking to win an unprecedented third consecutive title.
Standing in Real’s way is a dogged and experienced Juventus side. Just like their quarter-final opponents, Juventus have not had an easy path to this stage of the competition. They finished second in their group behind Barcelona, which saw them drawn against an in-form Tottenham Hotspur in the round-of-16.
The tie started brilliantly for Massimiliano Allegri’s side, who were 2-0 up inside ten minutes in the first leg at the Juventus Stadium. Spurs, however, bounced back and after a brilliant display, came from behind to draw 2-2 and take the important away goals into the second leg. Mauricio Pochettino’s men looked to be on their way when Son Heung-min opened the scoring in the second leg. Against the run of play, Juve’s experience showed as two quick goals from Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain turned the tie in favour of the Italians, who won 4-3 on aggregate.
The Italians have the know-how and experience of playing against Europe’s elite and will be hoping that their defensive strength could help them stop the attacking brilliance of the defending European champions.
With the first leg taking place in Turin, Allegri’s men will know the importance of trying to stop Los Blancos from scoring that all-important away goal. A match of this magnitude will certainly capture the attention of the footballing world as the perennial Serie A champions look for revenge after last year’s 3-1 final defeat at the hands of the same opponents.
Juventus will host Real Madrid in their Champions League quarter-final first-leg clash on Tuesday evening, with kick-off at 20:45.
Photo: Andy Rain/Backpagepix
