Juventus Aiming to Be Thorn in Real Madrid's Flesh in Champions League Once More

Even the most ardent Juventus supporter will admit their team was the one everybody else wanted to be paired with in the Champions League semi-finals.

As it turned out, Real Madrid were the team to be granted the opportunity to face the Serie A champions-elect next month with a place in the final at the Olympiastadion, Berlin, on June 6 at stake.

Juventus have slipped almost unnoticed into the last four for the first time since 2003, courtesy of knockout-round wins over Borussia Dortmund and Monaco.

Michel Euler/Associated Press

The Champions League spotlight will always be on the likes of Los Blancos, Bayern Munich and Barcelona after their successes in the tournament in recent years.

However, Juventus also have a rich tradition and history in the tournament to draw on, which could prove to be a vital factor in their hopes of reaching the final.

The forthcoming two matches against the Bernabeu club might be underpinned by a subtext that includes current Real manager Carlo Ancelotti's sacking at the Old Lady in 2001 and the protracted transfer speculation linking Paul Pogba with a move to the Liga giants.

But there is a historical precedent that Juventus can draw upon to stage a remarkable surprise victory over Ancelotti's team.

Only Bayern Munich have won more Champions League ties against Real than Juventus, according to OptaJoe statistics.

On the face of it, that is quite an astonishing stat, but it does not take into account the cyclical nature of football, which sees major European powers take centre-stage over period of time.

But Juventus have bossed the fixture between the two teams since the 1998 Champions League final defeat to the Spanish outfit at the Amsterdam Arena in the Netherlands.

Predrag Mijatovic's winner in that game saw Juve denied the trophy for the second successive season after Borussia Dortmund defeated the Turin club in the previous season.

Since then, however, Juventus have proved to be a thorn in the side of Real with the semi-final victory of 2003 representing an act of revenge for that defeat in the Dutch capital.

LUCA BRUNO/Associated Press

Eleven years ago, it was the presence of Pavel Nedved that proved to be the difference for the Italian club, when he wrapped up a 3-1 win in Turin that usurped Real's 2-1 advantage from the first leg.

Nedved picked up a pointless yellow card in the closing stages of that match to rule himself out of the final against Ancelotti's AC Milan at Old Trafford—a caution which proved even more costly as Juventus failed to live up to their pre-match standing as favourites and barely troubled Dida in the Milan goal.

That final ended in a penalty shootout defeat, but it should have been so very different for Juventus.

Fast forward two seasons and Juventus and Real were paired once more, this time in the Champions League last 16.

Juventus once again came from a single-goal deficit to win the tie, with Marcelo Zalayeta netting the vital goal four minutes before the end of extra-time.

ALBERTO RAMELLA/Associated Press

And since that tie, four matches in the group stages have seen Juventus claim two wins and a draw against Los Blancos.

It is true that history is exactly what it says on the tin, but when the odds are against you, it can be a persuasive trough to drink from.

Massimiliano Allegri and his team will be given little chance of overcoming Real Madrid next month, but the same suggestion in recent years has been greeted with disdain by the Turin side.

Juventus can take positives from the spirit shown previously by others against the Spanish giants.