Mourinho: Real fearless ahead of Euro clash

Jose Mourinho says his Real Madrid side “fear nothing and no one” in their bid to bring the Champions League trophy back to the Bernabeu for the first time in a decade.

Madrid head into tonight’s last-16 second leg against CSKA Moscow as favourites after posting a 1-1 draw in a first leg they dominated at Luzhniki Stadium.

On home soil, few would bet against the runaway La Liga leaders safely booking their passage to the quarter-finals, and the Portuguese talked up their chances of getting the job done tonight. “Our confidence is high and we fear nothing and no one,” Mourinho said.

Should Mourinho’s troops have needed any reminding that there is no room for complacency in football, it arrived in the third minute of stoppage time in the first leg when Pontus Wernbloom made them pay for their profligacy by netting an improbable equaliser.

“Football is treacherous in its nature and always has room for surprises,” added Mourinho.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s first-half strike handed Madrid the lead in the first leg and the Portugal winger, who despite scoring 40 goals this season has a fractious relationship with some sections of the Madrid support, has called on the Bernabeu faithful to play their part tonight.

“Ronaldo said: “I’d like to ask fans to keep supporting us so that we win something this year all together.”

Madrid will be without the injured Angel di Maria and Fabio Coentrao, while there was no place in the squad for Hamit Altintop, Ricardo Carvalho and Jose Callejon. CSKA are sweating on the fitness of Japan international Keisuke Honda.