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Former Real Madrid and Juventus midfielder says the Italians can come out on top in the clash between his two old sides and reach the Champions League final.

The Old Lady visit the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday holding a 2-1 lead. If they avoid defeat, they will reach their first final since 2003 as they search for their first Champions League trophy in 19 years.

Los Blancos will be confident of turning it around, with the away goal all important. They will also be playing in front of 90,000 Madridistas roaring them on as they hope to reach their second final in two years and become the first team to retain the Champions League since it adopted its current format.

Speaking to Tuttosport, Emerson, who joined Madrid in 2006 from Juventus, said:”It will be difficult in Madrid, much more so than at Juventus, but I think in the end Juve will progress. I liked the way they played a lot. It’s a tough team. In critical moments they grow and defended well.

“Who would have thought that they would reach the semi-finals? I would look in their eyes and say to the players: ‘Nobody believed in us, now we must show that we can win the Champions League’.”

Emerson only staying in Madrid for a year, featuring 28 times. He fell out with then boss Fabio Capello and was sold to AC Milan in 2007.

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Real Madrid Juventus match preview

Real Madrid will look to comeback against Juventus after losing 2-1 in Turin in order to qualify for the final of the Champions League.

The reigning champions of the competition lost all hopes of winning La Liga at the weekend as they drew against Valencia 2-2, so now they are completely focused on defending their European crown.

In order to earn a spot in the final, where they would most likely meet arch-rivals Barcelona, they will have to beat the Italians at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Karim Benzema could return to the starting eleven after spending a few weeks sidelined with a knee injury. That would bring Chicharito Hernandez back to the bench. Yet, Carlo Ancelotti has not made his decision and both have chances of starting.

The Italian will also miss Luka Modric, but at least he will be able to line-up Toni Kroos. The German international picked up a hip injury against Valencia, but he will recover on time.

Isco could be Kroos’ pair in midfield, since Ancelotti will look to line-up an offensive team. However, Asier Illarramendi also has some chances of playing, since it doesn’t seem like Carletto will repeat the experiment of changing Sergio Ramos’ role.

Juventus will be a more dangerous side this time as they will recover star Paul Pogba, who missed the first leg due to injury. They only need a draw to qualify, so they could focus on defending and counter-attacking, which proved to be very effective last week.

Possible line-ups:

Real Madrid: Casillas; Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo; Bale, Kroos, Isco, James Rodriguez; Chicharito, Ronaldo.

Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Evra; Marchisio, Pirlo, Vidal, Pogba; Morata, Tevez.

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Former Juventus and Real Madrid defender Robert Jarni believes the La Liga side will overturn the 2-1 deficit against the Italians in the Champions League and qualify for the final in Berlin.

The two sides meet at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday with Madrid knowing they must win if they are to play in the showpiece final and try to defend the trophy they won 12 months ago.

Speaking to Goal.com, the 46-year-old former defender said Real were too timid in the first leg but would come out fighting in the return game.

“I was very unpleasantly surprised by Real’s performance in the first half, even in the second. I expected a lot more. They were weak, not aggressive, standing too wide and you could definitely tell how much they missed Luka Modric.

“After Juventus made it 1-0, I thought they could have scored another two or three. Juve had a great opportunity to achieve an even better result – they had Madrid on the ropes but lacked the courage to knock them out. “So Real Madrid still have a 55 per cent chance of progressing.“

The Croatian went on to say he was not surprised to see Carlo Ancelotti play Sergio Ramos in midfield, but that the player just didn’t play well enough on the night of the first leg, like many of his team mates.

“I was not surprised to see Sergio Ramos in midfield, Ancelotti has tried that option several times in La Liga and Ramos even played in that position while he was at Sevilla. But he was simply very poor and that was key to Real’s loss.”

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Alvaro Morata

Former Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata says he does not hold a grudge against his former team as he prepares to face them in the Champions League.

The young striker left the Santiago Bernabeu last summer for Turin in search of regular first team football having seen his opportunities limited under Carlo Ancelotti.

The Spaniard scored in the first leg of the sides’ semi-final clash and is set to start when the Italians visit the Spanish capital on Wednesday.

Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the game, Morata said: “I’m not thinking of Madrid because I’m happy in Turin. No matter how long it has been since Juve last won the Champions League we are now working to win it again.

“I don’t hold any grudges against anybody at Madrid. I’m grateful to [Carlo] Ancelotti for giving me a lot of games, and even for having played me for a few minutes in the Champions League final. I don’t have anything to prove to anybody. I’m a Juve player now and want to do what’s best for the team.”

The striker added that he had received plenty of requests for tickets for the game.

“I received around 3,000 requests for tickets for the Madrid-Juventus match,” he commented.

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Real Madrid winger James Rodriguez says the team does not fear anyone but are respectful of Juventus ahead of the Champions League semi-final second leg.

Los Blancos welcome the Italians to the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night knowing the must win if they are to secure a passage to their second consecutive final. They lost 2-1 in Turin last week, but Cristiano Ronaldo’s away goal will give Carlo Ancelotti’s players hope they can come back.

Speaking to El Pais, Rodriguez, a summer signing from Monaco, said the players are aware of the task ahead of them but do not fear it.

“Real Madrid don’t fear anyone. We respect all the teams in the world, and we know what Italian teams are like – they defend very well and we will have to be very good to break through their defence. We have to score goals and if we manage that we will be going to the final in Berlin,” he stated.

He went on to discuss his missed chance in the first leg, a header that hit the bar, but said he is pleased with his overall form.

“It was a strange episode when I hit the bar because it was a defender who hit the ball with his toe and diverted it onto the crossbar, it happens once in every 20 attempts and it happened to me.

“I’ve always been competitive ever since I was a child and my number has always been 10. I’m having a good season and I’m in good form, I definitely want to continue on this road to help the team to achieve the goals.”

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Real Madrid right-back Daniel Carvajal has said the fans will play a huge part on Wednesday when Los Blancos take on Juventus at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Champions League holders must win having lost the first leg 2-1 last week and Carvajal says the crowd can help create a positive atmosphere for the Real players. He also called for the team to be patient and not go too gung-ho early on.

Speaking in an interview with betting company Bwin, he stated: “We have to win, that is crucial. We especially need to keep a cool head, be patient, and not go crazy. The game lasts for 90 minutes, we have to try and make the time go really slowly for Juve so that they suffer without the ball.”

And he continued: “These are matches where once the ball gets rolling, you focus on playing, eleven against eleven. On Wednesday we will feel the warmth of our fans, who will surely be our 12th man, and if we score a lot of goals, this factor will have an important role for the first one.”

The young defender, a good friend of Juventus striker Alvaro Morata, who scored the opener last week, said it will be strange to see him in a different shirt at the Bernabeu.

“I am really happy to be playing against a friend in the semi-final of the Champions League. I find it really strange to be facing him, and having to mark him and defend against him in some moves…I think it is a disadvantage because he is a great player and the truth is that he is really dangerous,” he commented.

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Real Madrid goalkeeper and captain Iker Casillas wants to see out the remaining two years of his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu, according to reports.

Madrid-based daily Marca says the keeper is keen to stay in the Spanish capital despite his sometimes strained relationship with the fans. The latest incident involved the shot stopper making a gesture towards a group of Madridistas following the side’s 2-2 draw with Valencia at the weekend – a result that effectively saw Los Blancos’ bid to win the title come to an end.

According to the paper, despite his up and down relationship with the fans, Casillas believes it is only a small minority who want him out of the side, and that goes back to his falling out with former boss Jose Mourinho.

Casillas signed a nine-year deal back in 2008 – a contract that still has two years to run after this season.

The World Cup winner has been linked with a move away this summer, with FA Cup holders Arsenal seen as a possible destination. The 33-year-old’s rival for the national jersey, David de Gea has been identified by Florentino Perez as the long-term successor to Casillas and is said to be waiting to see what will happen this summer before committed to a new deal with Manchester United.

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Argentina legend Diego Maradona has waded into the debate over who is better – Cristiano Ronaldo or Leo Messi.

And the ex-Barcelona forward says the topic is rather pointless as both as as good as each other and play at the same level.

The pair have been focus of much debate in pubs and bars across the world, and even footballing legends from down the years have lined up to give their opinion on who is the better of the two.

The two forwards and rivals have been in imperious form for years, and once again this season have been outstanding. Ronaldo has netted 54 times for his club, with Messi just behind on 53.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Maradona said: “It’s not the case that Messi is better than Ronaldo or Ronaldo is better than Messi. I think they are at the same level. Cristiano is a predator in front of goal. You can’t let Cristiano shoot from anywhere in the opposition half.

“Goalkeepers are scared of him. You have to be honest, goalkeepers are scared of Cristiano. They are not so scared of Messi in those areas because he doesn’t have the same power as Cristiano. Cristiano is an incredible professional. I think at this present time he is right up there at Messi’s level.”

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Karim Benzema

Premier League sides Arsenal and Liverpool are considering making a bid for Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema, reports have said.

A number of media outlets in the UK, including the Daily Telegraph, suggest the Frenchman could be subject of a 55-million-euro bid from both clubs as they look to bolster their squads over the summer.

Benzema is enjoying one of his most productive seasons to date, scoring 22 goals and providing 10 assists. But with Madrid’s La Liga challenge in tatters following their draw with Valencia at the weekend, and the side fighting for their lives in the Champions League, there is a chance they could end up trophyless at the end of the campaign.

Should that happen, the squad is likely to undergo an overhaul and Benzema could be one of the high profile victims, reports say.

Arsenal have long been linked with a move for the France international, who would be an upgrade on current striker and compatriot Olivier Giroud. The FA Cup holder, who face Aston Villa in the final this year as they look to retain the trophy, are keen to build on their squad to launch a realistic title bid next season and progress further in Europe.

Liverpool may find it harder to attract big name players, having failed to make in into the top four in the league and will not be at Europe’s top table next season.

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Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero has said the Italians still have a job to do in Madrid if they are to reach the final of the Champions League.

The Old Lady defeated Los Blancos 2-1 on Tuesday evening in Turin to take a slender lead into the second leg this week in the Spanish capital. Although Real lost, they do have the important away goal and will be confident of overcoming the Seria A champions in their own garden.

And speaking to the press on Friday, del Piero said it will take a team effort for Juventus to qualify for the Berlin final – their first since 2003 when the lost to AC Milan on penalties.

“These matches are fascinating. You don’t know who will be the key player. I hope that the team will be the key. It is impossible to win in a difficult stadium against very good players with no teamwork,” he is quoted as saying.

Del Piero played for Juventus from 1993 to 2012, scoring 239 goals in 705 appearances for the club. In his time at the club he was part of a side that won eight Seria A titles, the Coppa Italia and the Champions League. He left in 2012 to join Australian A-League side Sydney.

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