Italy's two surviving teams in the
Champions League will both face a tough challenge in the
quarterfinals, with Juventus drawn against Real Madrid and AS
Roma pitched against Barcelona.
Roma will face the Catalan giants away in the first leg on
April 4, with the return in the Italian capital six days later.
It will be the opposite way around for Juve, who will host
Real in Turin in the first leg on April 3 and travel to Madrid
for the second leg the following week.
That tie is a repeat of last season's final, which Real won
4-1.
Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri said he was taking heart from
the fact that his men knocked out another Spanish giant, Barca,
on the way to last year's final.
"Last year we beat Barcelona in the quarterfinals, maybe this
year's we'll bear Real, who remain the main favourites to win
the Champions in my opinion," Allegri said.
"It is necessary to approach things with all the positivity
possible.
"Real remain the big favourite. If we beat them, it will be
doubly satisfying".
Juventus Vice-President Pavel Nedved told Mediaset Premium
that he thought the Turin giants "have more of a chance over two
legs" than in a single do-or-die encounter.
"The two matches will be difficult and we have two suspended
players, but you always start at 0-0 and I'm convinced we can
cause them trouble".
Juve skipper Gianluigi Buffon said "we'll play Real without
regrets or frustration" over last year's thrashing.
"May the more determined side win," said the Italy keeper and
captain.
The most recent encounter between Roma and Barcelona was in
the 2015/16 group stage, with the Catalans winning 6-1 at the
Camp Nou and Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez both scoring twice.
"I'm happy about the draw because we are among the eight best
teams in Europe and so it would have been the same to take on
Manchester City or Real Madrid," said Roma director Francesco
Totti.
"We'll play to win as we have up to now. We've had a good run
in this Champions League so Barcelona will have to sweat hard to
knock us out.
"My son is crazy about Messi. The last time I asked him for
his shirt because I'd already given him five of mine".
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