Real Madrid v Juventus: You Know Who can pile more misery onto wounded visitors

Real Madrid v Juventus
Wednesday, 19:45
Live on BT Sport 2

Hosts looking to finish job

Tie over? You really have to think so. Real Madrid planted one foot firmly in the Champions League semi-finals last week, blowing Juventus away with a performance of real class at the Allianz Stadium. It's now back to the Bernabéu, and given that they haven't lost a European game there since March 2015, the signs are pretty positive for Zinedine Zidane's side.

The advantage established in Turin allowed the Frenchman to name a stronger side than he otherwise might have in Sunday's Madrid derby: there was a bit of rotation, but Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcelo, Dani Carvajal, Toni Kroos and Raphaël Varane all started. A 1-1 was a better result for Atlético, and even allowed Valencia to climb into fourth, but that will all be forgotten if Real bring home the biggest prize once again.

Luka Modrić and Isco should return to the starting XI here, although there will be no Sergio Ramos, who serves a suspension. Zidane will hope that Nacho, who has been struggling with a knock in recent weeks, is fit to deputise at the heart of the defence.

Juve hopes hanging by a thread

They bounced back with a 4-2 victory over Benevento at the weekend, but Juventus will not have got the first leg of this tie out of their system just yet. Max Allegri can point to key absentees - Miralem Pjanić and Mehdi Benatia were suspended - but the truth is that the Old Lady rarely looked like getting back into the match after Ronaldo's early opener.

Their task is further complicated by the absence of Paulo Dybala, who was sent off in the first leg. The experience of Mario Mandžukić could see him get the nod, and with goals required, the pace of fit-again Juan Cuadrado could bring him into Allegri's thinking. But whoever plays, this looks like an uphill task for the Italian champions.

Madrid can double down

Madrid are heavy favourites at 1.65 to win in 90 minutes, which seems reasonable given how the first leg panned out. They are in superb form (11 wins in 13, all competitions) and looked to have Juve completely figured out last Tuesday. More of the same is expected here, and Real Madrid -1.0 on the Asian handicap holds appeal at 2.00.

Ronaldo form too hot to ignore

Real Madrid's talisman landed us a nice 2.40 winner in the first leg and is down to 1.47 to find the net at the Bernabéu. That's a bit skinny for us, but odds of 3.10 on him opening the scoring are decent enough. He's done so in seven of his last eight Madrid outings, and will be keen to add to his absurd tally of European goals here.

RECOMMENDED BETS

Back Cristiano Ronaldo first goalscorer at 3.10

Back Real Madrid -1.0 at 2.00