TURIN: Juventus are starting to emerge as an international force once again but face a true test in their Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid that is likely to confirm, or dispel the theory the Italians are the weakest side in the competition.

The Italians, who clinched a fourth successive Serie A title on Saturday, have come a long way in Europe since they faced Real in last year’s competition when they failed to emerge from the group stage.

Under Massimiliano Allegri, who replaced Antonio Conte in the offseason, Juventus have reached the semi-final of the Champions League for the first time since 2003 — when they convincingly beat Real 3-1 at home to progress to the final 4-3 on aggregate.

Juve fans are dreaming of a repeat performance in Tuesday’s first leg in Turin but it will be a tall order for the two-time European champions against a team which won the competition for a record 10th time last season.

“We have matured quite a bit in these years,” said Juve playmaker Andrea Pirlo, who won the Champions League twice with AC Milan. “We play well without any fear. We will play as equals against Real Madrid, right until the end.”

On paper, Real are already streets ahead.

While Real swept city rivals Atletico aside 4-1 to claim their 10th crown last year, Juventus were ousted from the semi-finals of the Europa League by Benfica having failed to make it past the Champions League group stages.

Indeed, the last time Juve claimed the last of their two trophies from the competition was in 1996, when they ousted Real in the quarter-finals before dominating Ajax in the final after a penalty shoot-out.

Despite Juve also losing five finals, the gulf between the sides in terms of trophies remains immense but former Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata said Juve’s belief they can go all the way remains intact.

“The fact Juventus haven’t won the Champions League in a long time doesn’t count for anything. We’re in contention right now and we’re totally focused on the job,” said the young Spaniard, who switched the Bernabeu stadium for Turin last year.

“We want to win the title. We’re in the semi-finals and we’ve already shown we’re among the four best sides in Europe. Let’s hope we make it to the final two.”

Having battled to break down one of Europe’s meanest defences in the quarter-finals, Real will have to do it all over again when they face Juve.

Real took just under three hours to break down Atletico’s resistance in the previous round, wining 1-0 on aggregate with a goal in the 88th minute of the second leg and face a Juve side who were crowned Serie A champions after conceding only 19 goals in 34 games.

Juve’s defence has been just as impressive in the Champions League with only five goals against in 10 games and six clean sheets.

And they are also a more refined outfit than Atletico, less prone to rough-arm tactics and capable of coming out and attacking depending on the circumstances but Real have won eight of their last 11 away games and have not conceded a goal on the road in 444 minutes.

Real, who had Cristiano Ronaldo’s 29th hat-trick to thank for a 3-2 win over Sevilla at the weekend, could become the first side since AC Milan in 1990 to defend the European title.

But recent injury absences mean coach Carlo Ancelotti could be forced into some reshuffling.

Attacking midfielder Luka Modric remains sidelined with knee ligament damage and while Karim Benzema returned to team training on Sunday from an injured right knee, but has been left out of the squad for the trip to Turin.

Javier Hernandez has filled in well for Benzema and scored the late winner in the second leg of the 1-0 aggregate win over Atletico in the quarter-finals and is likely to be Ronaldo’s partner in attack, along with Gareth Bale.

Mexican international Hernandez said Real are not taking the Italians for granted, but admits he is desperate to match the achievement of Morata — who won the Champions League with Real last year — in claiming a winners’ medal this time around.

“We need to go step-by-step because Berlin [the venue for the final] is still a long way off. We know that Juventus will be a very difficult opponent and we will do our best to make it to the final,” said the Manchester United loanee.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2015

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