James Rodriguez ready for Madrid derby battle
Keeper Jan Oblak was Atletico’s hero in the first leg as he denied Real a priceless away goal as the clash at Vicente Calderon ended 0-0.
The 22-year-old Slovenian pulled off two vital first-half saves, the first of them at point-blank range, to deny Gareth Bale and enable Atletico to extend their unbeaten record against Carlo Ancelotti’s men this season to seven games.
Atletico have beaten their neighbours four times and drawn against them three times in their bid for revenge for last season’s Champions League final, which Real won 4-1 after extra time.
“We have to show intensity, be completely focused, play well, all stick together. I think if we do that we’ll come away with an excellent result,” Rodriguez said.
“We’re all dreaming of getting through this round, and if I can score too that’d be great. What’s important is winning and getting through this tough match, which is going to be difficult, but we’re here at our home stadium and in front of our fans. I think it could be a great match.”
Rodriguez added: “Atletico are an intense team who are good at the back and are a unit. There’s always pressure here. You have to know how to handle it. We’re going to give everything to be able to win La Undecima.”
Real were dealt a blow ahead of the match with news that Bale has a calf injury and is likely to miss the clash, while Luka Modric will not play because of a knee injury.
Modric faces a lengthy lay-off but has targeted the Champions League final for making a comeback.
Modric, who only came back from a four-month injury lay-off in March, was substituted in the second half of Real’s 3-1 home win over Malaga after damaging his knee in a challenge with visiting midfielder Recio.
The former Tottenham midfielder is confident he will be ready to make a return should the defending champions reach the showpiece final on June 6.
He said: “I won’t hide the faith I have in my team-mates; that they can get to the Champions League final, which is on the 6th of June.
“There’s no other choice. I’m not giving up on this season yet. I had some fantastic times from August to November.
“Then there was a break, then another long injury and now another. There’s no reason not to believe I can have a good end to the season.
“I’m going to try as hard as I can to turn this tough situation around.”
Real coach Carlo Ancelotti will be without Karim Benzema for the game against Atletico as he has suffered a similar injury to Modric.
The Frenchman attended the Hospital Sanitas La Moraleja for tests by the club’s medical staff and it is unknown how long he will be sidelined.
Atletico striker Antoine Griezmann, meanwhile, thinks his side will follow up their strong performances against Real with a victory on rival turf with the semi-finals at stake.
“We are pleased with our performances this season against Real, but we know that we are going to suffer a lot on Wednesday,” the France international said. “With every game I play here I am more settled and confident. I hope I can help the team to prevail.”
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