Real hold no fear for title-winning Juventus, says Lippi

JUVENTUS coach Marcello Lippi believes his newly-crowned Italian champions have nothing to fear when they take on European champions Real Madrid on Wednesday.

Real won the first leg of their Champions League semi-final in Spain, but David Trezeguet’s precious away goal has left the tie wide open.

And after watching Juventus retain their Serie A title on Saturday, despite being held to a 2-2 draw at home to Perugia, Lippi is setting his sights on a place in the final in Manchester on May 28.

“We are days away from making this an extraordinary season,” Lippi said. “We’ve conquered the first step and now we want to reach the Champions League final. uve’s Czech midfielder Pavel Nedved said title celebrations were very much on hold as the team prepare for their titanic European clash.

“I’m incredibly happy. Retaining the title is far more difficult than winning it just once,” he said.

Meanwhile Real, overtaken by Deportivo La Coruna and Real Sociedad at the top of La Liga over the weekend, believe that it is almost impossible that their Brazilian striker Ronaldo would overcome a calf injury to start Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final.

French midfielder Claude Makelele is also struggling with a thigh injury as Real, the defending champions drew 0-0 with Recreativo Huelva while Depor beat Malaga by two goals to take top spot on goal difference while Real Sociedad move into second following last night’s 3-1 win against

Real Mallorca. Real do hope to welcome back the prolific Raul following an appendicitis operation as well as Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane, who missed Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Recreativo Huelva.

Real coach Vicente Del Bosque opted to field the unusual attacking combination of Fernando Morientes and Tote Lopez, with both men starting a Spanish league game for the first time this season, but neither player could break the deadlock as Recreativo were thwarted by the bravery and acrobatics of Real goalkeeper Casillas.

Hours later, Deportivo La Coruna defender Donato, the oldest man in the Spanish first division, showed the Galicians the way to the top of the Spanish first division with a rare goal in his team’s 2-0 win at Malaga.

Donato belied his 40 years to rise above the Malaga defence and head the 1999/2000 champions ahead after just 12 minutes. Lionel Scaloni added to Deportivo’s tally with a breakaway goal two minutes into injury time with Malaga having already mentally conceded the game.

Second placed Real Sociedad got off the mark after just 10 minutes, with Spain’s World Cup winger Javier De Pedro opening the scoring from the penalty spot after Mallorca defender Poli Fernandez had tripped Darko

Kovacevic.

De Pedro then provided the service with pinpoint crosses from out by the left touchline for Valery Karpin to tap in with his left foot after 25 minutes and then for Kovacevic to head the Basque’s third goal, and his 18th of the season, nine minutes after the break.

Samuel Eto’o managed a consolation strike for Mallorca.

One small note of consolation for Real will be that they are nowhere near the doldrums being experienced by their neighbours Atletico.

The other Madrid club’s miserable centenary year continued with a 1-0 defeat at home to struggling Alaves .

Alaves’ Adrian Ilie provided a rare moment of brilliance in an otherwise less-than-memorable match to score the only goal of the game after 55 minutes, to give the Basques their first win in 10 games.

Monaco set up a frantic finale to the French league season on Saturday, coming back from a goal down to beat Montpellier 3-1 and move top on goal difference from Lyon. But southern neighbours Marseille may miss the lucrative Champions League after a disastrous evening in Sochaux.

Marseille went down 3-0 to stay third but it wasn’t without a whimper as they finished a stormy match with nine men.

Bayer Leverkusen were in the Champions League final less than a year ago. Now they are heading for the drop in the Bundesliga after a woeful 4-1 loss Saturday at Hamburg after which coach Thomas Horster said his club has effectively thrown in the towel.

Horster, who replaced Klaus Toppmoller in mid-season, was scathing of his side after the loss which leaves them two points from safety in third bottom place.

“Nobody said a word, the atmosphere was funereal. After this showing I have given up hope,” he said.