Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Juventus - Real Madrid preview: Historical duel

Two of the greatest teams in European football history will face each other on Tuesday 21 October in Turin at 20:45 CET. Real Madrid and Juventus have clashed twelve times throughout their history, with seven victories for the Whites and five for the Italian team. The Madridistas have only won one of their five games in Turin.

Real Madrid have won four and lost only one of their five matches against the Italians at the Bernabéu, but the same can be said of Juventus at their home stadium. Two of the 12 clashes between them took place on neutral ground, first in the 1962 quarterfinal tie-break that gave Real Madrid a ticket to the semifinals, and in the legendary 1998 final in which the Madridistas won their seventh European Cup.

The Whites reached the quarterfinals in the 1986/87 edition of the tournament by defeating Juventus in the Last 16. Both sides won 1-0 at their own stadiums, but Real Madrid went through in the penalty shoot-out (3-1).

The first time the Italian side ever eliminated the Madridistas was in the 1996 quarterfinals. Raúl helped the team win 1-0 at home with a goal, but Juventus earned a 2-0 victory in the return leg. The Italians eventually won their second and last European Cup to date that year against Ajax.

Every Madridista remembers the 20 May 1998 clash between both sides in the Amsterdam Arena. The Italians were favourites to win the title due to their experience in the championship, their title of the previous campaign and by having Zinedine Zidane in their ranks.

Against all odds, Jupp Heinckes' Real Madrid won the title by defeating them 1-0. It was their first European Cup title in 32 years.

Both clubs were pitted against each other again in the 2002/03 and 2004/05 seasons. Real Madrid won at the Bernabéu by one goal both years (2-1 and 1-0, respectively) despite deserving much more. They eventually lost 3-1 and 2-0, respectively, in the Turin return legs.

Real Madrid Press

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