Mandzukic and Ramos were constantly in each other’s faces throughout the first leg and more of the same can be expected in the second. PHOTO: AFP
The European champions have failed to overcome Atletico in seven games since beating Los Rojiblancos in last season’s Champions League final, including last week’s 0-0 draw in the first-leg at the Vicente Calderon, and have been struck by a series of injuries and suspensions to key players.
Luka Modric, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale are all out injured while left-back Marcelo will miss out through suspension.
Given those absences, the return to fitness and form of James Rodriguez is a huge boost for Los Blancos.
The Colombian World Cup star has scored twice in four games after a two-month injury layoff due to a broken foot to take his tally to an impressive 14 in his first season at the Bernabeu. “Before I was out I was scoring goals, playing at a good level and now I think it is the same,” he told Madrid’s website. “We are all dreaming of getting through this round and if I can score as well then it would be great. The most important thing is to win and get through this very difficult game, but we are in our own stadium with our own fans.”
However, Real will be faced with arguably the best defence in Europe on Wednesday. Atletico have conceded just once in their last eight Champions League games and have shutout their local rivals in four of their previous seven meetings this season.
While Diego Simeone’s men remain the underdogs in just their second Champions League quarter-final in 18 years, midfielder Raul Garcia refuted the suggestion they have less to lose than the holders. “I don’t think we have less pressure. It is the quarter-finals of the Champions League and the two teams want to go through,” he said.
Garcia dismissed the idea that Atletico now have a mental hold over Carlo Ancelotti’s men having beaten them over two legs in the Spanish Supercup and the Copa del Rey already this season, while also refuting suggestions that they are out to avenge last year’s final heartbreak. “Lisbon is forgotten. We would have loved to have won, but it doesn’t change anything. If we had won, we would still want to go through now,” he said.
Juventus set sights on semi-finals
Juventus head to Monaco looking to clinch a place in the last four for the first time in over a decade.
An immovable force at the top of the European game in the 1990s, when they reached three consecutive finals, including beating Ajax in 1996, Juve were also Champions League runners-up in 2003, losing to AC Milan.
But they have not got beyond the last eight since, failing to translate their domestic dominance to the European stage.
Nevertheless, while they close in on a fourth consecutive Serie A crown, they are now primed to secure a spot in the semi-finals in Europe after Arturo Vidal’s penalty gave them a 1-0 victory against the Principality club last Tuesday.
While Monaco impressed in that game, Juve left-back Patrice Evra warned the Ligue 1 giants that the Old Lady will be more in this game. “I was not surprised by Monaco because we didn’t underestimate them, but they played really well against us,” said Evra, a former Monaco player. “I think the second leg will be different and Juventus will have a greater control of the match.”
Published in The Express Tribune, April 22nd, 2015.
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