Real Madrid vs. Juventus: Preview and Prediction for Champions League Semifinal

Real Madrid and Juventus go toe-to-toe Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabeu to determine who will join Barcelona for the Champions League final in Berlin.

Barcelona defeated Bayern Munich 5-3 on aggregate to book their ticket to the Olympiastadion in June. Fellow La Liga giants Real Madrid look to erase a 2-1 deficit against Juventus from the first leg as they return home.

Juventus took care of business in the first leg in Turin following goals by Alvaro Morata and Carlos Tevez for the home side, with Cristiano Ronaldo netting for Real. Morata gave Juventus confidence eight minutes into the game tapping in a Tevez shot, capping an impressive team passing display.

Despite Juve’s one-goal lead, Real Madrid would move on with a 1-0 victory in the second leg due to their away goal. Ronaldo’s header in the 27th minute last week may end up deciding the tie.

Holding on to a slender one-goal lead presents a daunting task for Juventus. If the Serie A champions can hold off Los Blancos, Juve will appear in their first Champions League final since losing to AC Milan in a penalty shootout 12 years ago.

Speaking to the club's official website, Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri said:

"

It’s important for me and particularly for Juventus to be back in a Champions League semifinal. We hadn’t got this far for a long time. Our objective this year was to just to get out of the group.

Nobody could have imagined that we’d be 95 minutes away from Berlin right now. We were 180 minutes away from the final and now there are just 95 to go.

"

Coincidentally, Juventus beat Real Madrid in the semifinal 12 years ago on their way to their last Champions League final.

Real Madrid must score in order to move on, but right-back Dani Carvajal warns of the dangers of being too aggressive right from the start.

“We need to win, that is fundamental. However, above all we need to have a cool head, be patient and not go crazy,” Carvajal told the club’s official website.

Both sides enter the match with some injury concerns but received positive news since last week’s game.

Massimo Pinca/Associated Press/Associated Press/Associated Press

Paul Pogba returned from his hamstring injury and scored in Juventus’ 1-1 draw with Cagliari this weekend. However, Juve will be missing Kwadwo Asamoah and Martin Caceres due to knee and ankle injuries respectively, according to Goal.com’s Nicholas McGee.

Real Madrid may also receive a boost following the return of Karim Benzema, and Toni Kroos is expected to play despite suffering a hip injury this past weekend, according to Skysports.com. Benzema may feature up front with Ronaldo and Gareth Bale after remaining sidelined for a month with a knee injury.   

Real Madrid can never be dismissed with the likes of Ronaldo, Bale, Isco and James Rodriguez. However, things have been difficult for Los Blancos recently.

The defending champions have surrendered two goals in each of their last three games, making their back line look anything but steady. On top of that, Real Madrid will need to push forward due to their one-goal deficit.

Tevez showed his ability on the counter when he slipped behind the Madrid defense in the first leg, forcing Carvajal to bring down the Argentine in the box. The 31-year-old striker stepped up to the penalty spot and knocked in his seventh goal in 11 Champions League appearances this season.

Real Madrid’s midfield is also a concern with the absence of both Luka Modric and Sami Khedira. Modric remains sidelined with a knee issue and Khedira is out with a foot injury, according to Marcos Prieto’s report for UEFA.com.

In Modric’s absence, Carlo Ancelotti moved Sergio Ramos into the midfield for the first leg in Turin. Ramos may provide extra defensive cover in front of Pepe and Raphael Varane but lacks the passing ability needed in the center of the field.

Ramos continually played errant long passes to the sidelines, giving Juventus the ball. Overall, the Spanish defender surrendered possession 16 times in the first leg, according to Adam Bate of Skysports.com.

Due to Real Madrid’s recent lack of form and their failure to find a replacement for Modric, Juventus will keep the game even and move on to the Champions League final. The Old Lady will deny the world an El Clasico in Berlin.

Prediction: Juventus 1, Real Madrid 1. Juventus progresses 3-2 on aggregate.