Real vs. Italy

Madrid faces Juve; Milan rivals clash in semifinals

LONDON (AP) -- It's Real Madrid versus Serie A in the Champions League.

Defending champion Madrid hosts Juventus Tuesday while AC Milan plays crosstown rival Inter in the other semifinal Wednesday. Four former winners are in the semifinals for the first time in 22 years and between them, they have won 18 titles.

But Madrid's preparations for a record 10th Champions Cup trophy haven't got off to a great start.

Madrid was beaten 5-1 by Mallorca Saturday -- its first home defeat in 50 league matches and it's heaviest home defeat since December 1999.

"We had gone many games without defeat and Mallorca was better that us," said Real coach Vicente del Bosque. "With my experience, hardly anything surprises me.

"We must be brave and show our pride because we are still the league leader. We are doing well in the two competition which we remain. And on Tuesday, we have a very important match against Juventus."

Former Juve star Zinedine Zidane, now part of the star-studded Real Madrid lineup, admitted it would be "difficult to play a semifinal against so many friends and many recollections."

Zidane played for Juventus in its 1-0 loss to Madrid in the 1998 final, said that the team should try to forget the league defeat.

"These things can occasionally happen and yesterday it happened to us," Zidane said. "They're two different competitions and against Juventus we'll go out with the same idea as always, to play well and win."

Real Madrid has won the Champions Cup nine times, including wins in 1998 -- over Juventus -- and 2000. It's been runner-up three times, the last time in 1981.

Madrid is playing in its 21st semifinal -- nine more than Germany's Bayern Munich, and eleven more than Juve and AC Milan.

Juventus coach Marcello Lippi wasn't celebrating Madrid's crushing league defeat.

"It can happen before an important match," Lippi said. "We have not be deceived by Real's huge loss.

Juve missed the chance for an early celebration of the Serie A title with an unimpressive goalless draw at Lazio on Saturday.

Juve has an eight point lead with three rounds remaining but will almost certainly clinch its 27th Scudetto next Saturday. Coach Marcello Lippi admitted his side had one eye on Tuesday's match.

"We had to control Lazio while thinking of Real," Lippi said. "At Madrid it will be a different match. We will not spare determination and strength there.

"Certainly the semifinal with Real gives us a lot of motivation ... our recent matches in Spain (against Deportivo and Barcelona) have been a success. Let's hope to add another win."

Lippi is taking suspended players Paolo Montero, Alessio Tacchinardi and Edgar Davids to Madrid as support for the players.

Juventus is bidding for its third Champions Cup trophy. It first won in 1985, with Lippi leading the club to the title in 1996 and the runner up spot the following two years.

Juve and Real have faced off nine times in European competition, but the Italians have only secured a place in the next round once -- in 1996 when it went on to win the title. The two last met in the 1998 Champions League final.

Inter and AC meet for the first time in the Champions Cup semifinals. It's also the first time two teams from the same city have met in a semifinal.

It's been a long time since Inter Milan last reached the final. Inter won back-to-back Champions Cup titles in 1964 and '65, but last made an appearance in the final 31 years ago.

It's crosstown rival has had better recent success -- AC Milan won its fifth Cup in 1994, beating Barcelona, and was runner up the following year.

Inter has already lost twice to AC Milan in the league derbies this season and veteran defender Fabio Cannavaro said it was time for revenge.

"It will be a fantastic derby that we absolutely want to win," Cannavaro said.

Inter coach Hector Cuper admitted the losing side could face dramatic repercussions, with he and AC coach Carlo Ancelotti in danger of losing their jobs.

"It will be a derby between two great teams," Cuper said. "I'm used to being under pressure, and I'm not afraid."

Last season, both Milan clubs reached the semifinals of the UEFA Cup. They didn't play each other but both lost.

Inter will be without injured striker Christian Vieiri and suspended midfielder Cristiano Zanetti. Hernan Crespo and Alvaro Recoba are likely to lead the attack.

For AC Milan, Clarence Seedorf's recovery from a strain will see him start in midfield, pushing Brazilian Rivaldo to the bench. Filippo Inzaghi and Andrei Shevchenko are expected to start up front.

If Milan are successful in the final in Manchester, England, on May 28, Seedorf will be the first player to win the Champions Cup with three different clubs. The Dutchman won with Ajax in 1995 and Real Madrid in 1998.

 

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