Never-say-die Madrid draw on experience
CARVAJAL: I ALWAYS BELIEVED WE WOULD COME THROUGH
Real Madrid have suffered a number of nervy Champions League moments in recent seasons and could draw on a vast bank of European experience as they survived a heart-stopping quarterfinal second leg against Juventus on Wednesday.
Serie A leaders Juve staged a stunning fightback in the Spanish capital after losing the first leg 3-0, levelling the tie with two goals from Mario Mandzukic and a tap-in by Blaise Matuidi.
Yet Madrid, who are chasing a third straight Champions League title, were awarded a hotly-contested penalty in stoppage time which Cristiano Ronaldo hammered home to send them into the semifinals for a record-extending eighth year in a row.
Wednesday’s thrilling encounter ranks alongside three other close shaves for Madrid in the competition’s quarterfinals.
They lost 2-0 at Borussia Dortmund in 2014, going through 3-2 on aggregate and scraped into the semis two years ago by the same aggregate score after a 2-0 defeat to VfL Wolfsburg.
Last year they suffered a 2-1 reverse at home to Bayern Munich before reaching the last four after extra-time.
Real went on to win the trophy in each of those years and defender Dani Carvajal said those experiences helped them keep their composure after they fell 3-0 behind after 60 minutes.
“Since I’ve been here there’s always been a bad performance in this competition and I always believed we would come through,” Carvajal said.
With Barcelona dramatically exiting the competition to AS Roma on Tuesday, after surrendering a three-goal advantage from the first leg, there was a real possibility Madrid would suffer the same fate.
Leftback Marcelo, however, said they were made of sterner stuff.
“What happened to Barca was never going to happen to us, we’re Real Madrid,” said the Brazilian.
“The champions survive the resistance,” proclaimed Spanish newspaper Marca, also repeating late Real midfielder Juanito’s line: “93 minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu is a very long time”.
Daily AS declared on its front page that Madrid went “from panic to the semifinals”.
“For half-an-hour Juventus walked over a dazed and cowardly Madrid,” said their report.
“But Madrid came back. Madrid always come back.”
Real coach Zinedine Zidane said he gave his players a firm message.
“At half-time I told them things had to change and we couldn’t continue like this.”