Madrid need real home steel

REAL MADRID are anxious to avoid the mistake they made in their previous Champions League meeting with Juventus when the two heavyweights go head-to-head again tonight.

Real’s hopes of winning a 10th European crown ended two seasons ago when the Italians scored a crucial away goal as they went down 2-1 in the first leg of a semi-final in Madrid and then finished off the job with an efficient 3-1 win in Turin.

“The key thing is not to concede any goals at home this time,” said centre-back Ivan Helguera before the last 16 knockout tie against the Italians.

“Even if we win just 1-0 that will do because then they will have to push forward in Turin and we can catch them out with our speedy forwards like Ronaldo.”

After a miserable start to the season, a seven-match winning streak in the league under new coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo went a long way to restoring Real’s shattered morale.

Although the run came to an end at the weekend when they slumped to a 2-0 defeat at home to Athletic Bilbao, Real can take some comfort from the fact that they were missing suspended full-back Roberto Carlos and that Ronaldo, Raul and Zinedine Zidane were rested for most of the game.

“Despite Saturday’s defeat we are in much better shape and working far harder now,” said Zidane yesterday. “Luxemburgo has taken control of the team and knows what he wants and that’s important.”

The former Juventus player also believes that if Real can get past the Serie A side they will be able to go all the way and claim a trophy they have come to see as their own.

“This is a very, very important game because if we beat Juve we will do something really big in the Champions League this time. If we can beat them over two legs we can beat anyone.”

If right-back Michel Salgado recovers from a bruised thigh, Real will be at full strength for tonight’s game.

Ronaldo is set to reclaim his place up front at the expense of Michael Owen, who was unable to add to his prolific scoring record during Saturday’s defeat.

Juve’s season appears to have been a mirror-image of Real’s.

The Italians, managed by former Real boss Fabio Capello, looked bullet-proof at the start of the campaign, but have suffered a worrying dip in form this month that has seen them fritter away an eight-point lead at the top of the table.

A dull 0-0 draw at lowly Messina on Saturday opened the door to title rivals AC Milan to now lead the standings on goal difference. Capello has tried to shrug off his side’s indifferent performance.

“We were unlucky,” he said. “We created at least six good chances, but we weren’t able to turn those into goals.”

“It’s just one of those times. The ball just doesn’t want to go in the net, but I remain calm because physically we’re in good shape.”

His confidence will have been dented, however, after top striker David Trezeguet was forced to withdraw from the 20-man squad after succumbing to flu.

His probable replacement, Alessandro Del Piero, gave a lively performance against Messina, but is a shadow of the player who played such a decisive role the last time Juve met Real.

The other star of that match, Pavel Nedved, is also expected to figure in the game, though what kind of form he is in remains uncertain.

The former European Player of the Year has not played a full competitive match since suffering a knee injury against Brescia on January 23.

(Probable teams):

REAL MADRID: Casillas; Salgado, Helguera, Samuel, Carlos; Beckham, Gravesen, Figo, Zidane; Raul, Ronaldo

JUVENTUS: Buffon; Zambrotta, Cannavaro, Thuram, Zebina; Nedved, Blasi, Emerson, Camoranesi; Del Piero, Ibrahimovic.

Referee: Lubos Michel (Slovakia).