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Juventus and Real Madrid are set to go head-to-head in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League this season. And my word, both teams share a bit of history in the recent past.
The two sides were also drawn into the same group in the 2013-14 season where Madrid won their home tie 2-1 and the reverse fixture saw the teams playing out a 2-2 draw.
They faced each other in the semi-finals of the 2014-15 season in which Juventus beat Real Madrid 3-2 on aggregate.
It is also a repeat of last year's final in which Madrid ran out 4-1 winners to claim the prize.
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This year, both teams had to fight really hard for their place in the semi-finals. Both of them finished second in their respective groups and were also drawn against difficult opponents in the round-of-16.
Juventus came up against Tottenham whom they beat 4-3 on aggregate, despite being 2-3 down at one stage in the game. Real Madrid proved to be too strong for Paris Saint-Germain, who were beaten 5-2 on aggregate.
The tie is finely poised as Juventus are in the running for a treble this campaign and Madrid's only shot at silverware this season is the Champions League title, which they attempt to win for an unprecedented third time in a row.
So, ahead of the tie, we have come up with a combined XI, comprising of players from both teams. Have a look.
FORMATION: 4-3-1-2
Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus)
Buffon gets the nod ahead of Keylor Navas even though the latter has been vital to Madrid's successive Champions League victories.
It's quite a feat that the legendary keeper still continues to perform at the highest level. The 40-year-old is showing no signs of slowing down as he attempts to inspire the team in a bid to win his maiden Champions League trophy.
Buffon has made over a 1000 appearances for club and country and has been in fine form this season as well. He has kept 14 clean sheets in 26 games for Juventus in all competitions.
There is every chance that this may well be the final time we see Buffon leading his team out in the Champions League as there have been a lot of speculation over his rumoured retirement at the end of the season.
Centre-backs
Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)
Sergio Ramos is undoubtedly one of the best centre-backs in the world and this was one of the easiest picks in the line-up.
His defensive attributes need no mention, but he has also been a force to be reckoned with at the other end of the pitch. He has made a habit of scoring crucial goals for Real Madrid, most notably an equaliser in the 93rd minute in the 2014 Champions League final against rivals Atletico Madrid to send the tie into extra-time, a match Madrid eventually won.
Despite having a reputation for being excessively rash frequently, Ramos is the leader of this Madrid team who will go into the tie with the sole purpose of advancing to the semi-finals.
Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus)
It goes without saying that Italians produce quality defenders generation after generation. Chiellini has been at the heart of Juventus' defence for more than a decade now and has been a vital cog in their resolute backline.
He makes the team ahead of Raphael Varane, who has enjoyed a slight dip in form this season and has been inconsistent with his outings.
Despite Leonardo Bonucci making the move to AC Milan in the summer, his void has rarely been felt at Juventus this season. Chiellini has stepped up to the forefront and at 33 years old, continues to produce world-class performances week in and week out.
He was at his brilliant best in the second leg against Tottenham at Wembley to send Juventus through. They will be banking on him to nullify the threat of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Full-backs
Daniel Carvajal and Marcelo (Real Madrid)
The Real Madrid duo make the cut as both of them are crucial figures in the way Madrid operate. Both of them are very fast, defensively solid and has a very good offensive output as well.
Juventus have tinkered with the right-back position with Mattia de Sciglio and Stephan Lichtsteiner being rotated occasionally and thus the Madrid duo have been chosen ahead of them.
Carvajal established himself as Madrid's first-choice right-back since his arrival from Bayer Leverkusen in 2013. He is a fan-favourite who gets the job done effectively.
Despite missing 8 games at the start of the season with a reported heart condition, he returned in November much to the relief of Zinedine Zidane who was considerably short of options in defence. He will be hoping that Carvajal is at the top of his game over the two legs.
Marcelo is widely regarded by many as the best left-back in the world and edges fellow Brazilian Alex Sandro in our line-up.
His combination and chemistry with Cristiano Ronaldo has been key to Madrid's recent success and he also has an eye for the occasional goal. He has over 500 appearances for club and country
In 34 appearances this season, he has 3 goals and 7 assists to his name which proves how much of an impact he makes in front of goal as well.
Midfielders
As both Juventus and Madrid rely on their full-backs to provide width, we are going with three central midfielders and a number 10 in our 4-3-1-2 formation.
Defensive Midfielder: Casemiro (Real Madrid)
The tough-tackling player is our defensive midfielder, who has shot into stardom in a short period of time. The player has been at Madrid since 2012 but was sent out on loan to Porto in the 2014-15 season.
He has been crucial to Zidane's setup as he provides the defensive cover for his attackers to play at will. He also has a good history against Juventus as he scored against them in the Champions League final last season.
In 36 games for the club this season, he has 6 goals and 3 assists.
Central midfielder: Toni Kroos (Real Madrid)
An automatic selection in this line-up, and in almost all line-ups for that matter, Kroos has been wowing us all with his ability to control the game on his own. He sets the tempo and initiates the attacks from midfield with his defence-splitting passes and wonderful long balls to his wide players.
He is widely regarded as one of the best in the world in his position, if not the best, and his form is crucial for Marid to perform well.
Still only 28 years old, the German has over 500 caps under his belt and is targeting his fourth Champions League title this season.
Central midfielder: Miralem Pjanic (Juventus)
There were question marks over who will replace Paul Pogba when he joined Manchester United in 2016, but Juventus quickly put all those doubts to rest with the signing of Pjanic from AS Roma. The midfielder has been a mainstay in their midfield and has stepped up to the occasion with a string of commanding performances.
His underlying stats are so good that he ousts the ever-reliable Luka Modric in our line-up.
He is the heart of Juventus' team and has 6 goals and 10 assists in 36 games this season and the tally is likely to increase, come May.
The #10: Isco (Real Madrid)
It is surprising how Zidane cannot find a place for a player of such high quality in his starting XI, even at a time when Madrid are struggling for form.
Isco arrived in 2013 from Malaga and has made over 230 appearances for the club. During the period, he has scored 39 goals for them, which is a decent return but for the majority of his career at Madrid, he has had to settle for a bench role.
The 25-year-old is a subject of interest from many clubs and he will be seeking a move away for regular minutes if an opportunity arises. This season, he has scored 7 goals and has as many assists to his name and Madrid will need to use him at some point in the match to unlock Juventus' sturdy defence.
Forwards
Paulo Dybala (Juventus)
Since his arrival at Juventus in 2015, there has been simply no stopping Paulo Dybala. The Argentinean has scored a remarkable 64 times in 130 games for The Old Lady and has even been dubbed by many to follow the footsteps of Lionel Messi.
Capable of playing as a second striker or an attacking midfielder, Dybala's quick feet, his ability to find spaces behind the opposition defence and his precise shooting capacity is widely credited for.
The player has 21 goals to his name this season and is the focal point of their attack- a threat Madrid simply must nullify.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
There seems to be a certain love affair developing between Cristiano Ronaldo and the Champions League. He has scored 12 goals this season and has been on the scoresheet on every single matchday this campaign. He is the all-time top scorer in the competition and has been in ridiculous form since the turn of the year.
Ronaldo has scored more goals than any other player in 2018 and looks ready to fire on all cylinders against Juventus- a team he loves scoring against. He has scored 7 goals in his last 5 games against Juventus including a brace in last year's final and Madrid fans around the world will be hoping for more of the same, when the sides meet.
