Juventus eager to deal Real Madrid finishing blow
MADRID —With the Spanish league title essentially out of reach, it’s time for Real Madrid to prove itself again in the Champions League.
The defending champions play host to Juventus Wednesday in the second leg of the semifinals, trailing 2-1 from the opening match. A 1-0 win would be enough for Madrid to advance on away goals.
Giorgio Chiellini finished the first leg with a bloodstained bandage wrapped around his head and he’s looking forward to more.
The Juventus centre back was injured in a clash of heads with Gareth Bale. But that didn’t stop him from putting in another stellar performance last week.
“We can’t wait for Wednesday evening to come,” Chiellini said. “This is certainly the most prestigious and important game I’ll be playing in since I joined the club. I’ve been here for 10 years and it’s been 12 since we last reached the semifinals. We’ve never been as close as we are now. The final is still a long way away and we’ll need a super performance to get there.”
The last time Juventus was in the semifinals in 2003, it lost 2-1 at Madrid before winning 3-1 in Turin to progress to the final, where it lost on penalties to AC Milan.
Juventus also knocked Madrid out in the last 16 in 2005 and the two have met twice in the group stage since then.
“I’ve played at the Bernabeu twice,” Chiellini said. “Let’s hope it doesn’t end like last year, when we lost and I was sent off, but instead like the first game, when we won thanks to (Alessandro) Del Piero’s double.”
Madrid will, as usual, look to Cristiano Ronaldo to provide the spark, while Juventus will follow the lead of Andrea Pirlo.
“Juventus are back competing at the very highest level,” Pirlo said, “and a Champions League win would be a dream for the fans, for the club, and for me personally.”
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, who said he grew to regard Pirlo “as a brother” during their time together at AC Milan, needs to decide how best to handle him.
On the other side, Ronaldo will be left to charge up the left flank and Gareth Bale will play on the right, but Ancelotti must decide if the job of sole striker will go to Karim Benzema, who is back in training after an injury, or Javier Hernandez.
Hernandez has played only 296 minutes in the Champions League and scored one goal, compared to six goals in 597 minutes for Benzema. Ronaldo has scored nine goals in 975 minutes.
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri, who has a full squad to choose from, had the luxury of resting most of his regular players on Saturday because the team won the Italian league the previous week. He is likely to stick with the same team that beat Madrid in Turin, bringing Paul Pogba off the bench in the second half.
The France midfielder tore his right thigh muscle in the round of 16 at Borussia Dortmund two months ago.
“Paul is the same as always, such a young lad with so much strength that he doesn’t need to get back into the swing of things regardless of his two-month absence,” Juventus defender Andrea Barzagli said.