Holders Real Madrid face
Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals as the city rivals do
battle once more and French surprise-package Monaco take on Juventus, following
the draw on Friday.
AFP report continues:
The
all-Madrid showdown is a rerun of the 2014 and 2016 finals in Europe’s top club
competition, with a Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired Real victorious on both
occasions in tight, cagey affairs.
Real
will host Atletico at the Santiago Bernabeu on May 2 and Monaco are home to
Italian champions Juventus on May 3, with the second legs the following week.
Going
into the draw at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland all four teams were
making the usual noises: there is nothing to choose between any of them, they
said publicly.
But
the 39-year-old Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon broke ranks, saying that
he would prefer to avoid a wily Atletico side because they are out of the La
Liga title race so can rest players for Europe.
“The
only distinction from the three teams is that Atletico Madrid have a more
marked and defined position in the (league) standings,” said the stopper, who
is yet to win the Champions League, calling Diego Simeone’s team “the
trickiest” of the sides left.
“The
other two (Real and Monaco) are fighting for the championship (as are Juventus)
so that could be a factor.”
Real
Madrid, for whom Ronaldo hit a hat-trick as they saw off Bayern Munich in the
quarters, are favourites with British bookmakers.
But
Juventus were hugely impressive in beating Barcelona 3-0 in the first leg and
then holding the Spanish champions to a 0-0 draw at the Camp Nou on Wednesday
in a defensive masterclass.
Beaten
Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has tipped Juventus to lift the trophy they
last won in 1996 and they will be favourites against Monaco.
“Over
the two legs they were better than us so they deserve to go through to the
semi-finals. I think they can win the Champions League this season,” the
Spanish international said after Buffon shut out Lionel Messi and Barcelona
over 180 minutes of football.
French
league leaders Monaco are the outsiders but they have already claimed victims
in Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals and Manchester City and Tottenham
Hotspur before that.
The
French side — Buffon labelled them “feisty” — are full of attacking vim and
have hit a staggering 141 goals in all competitions this season.
And
in teenage striking sensation Kylian Mbappe, 18, allied with a rejuvenated
Radamel Falcao, they have the firepower to trouble any defence.
The final is in Cardiff on
June 3.
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