TURIN • Cristiano Ronaldo has urged his teammates "to give a great response in our home" with Juventus' hopes of a first Champions League trophy since 1996 hanging by a thread.
The seven-time defending Italian champions trail 2-0 to Spanish side Atletico Madrid going into the second leg of their last-16 tie at the Allianz Stadium in Turin today.
The Portugal forward told Juventus TV: "We didn't expect to lose the first leg 2-0, but anything can happen, and we want to give a great response... in front of our fans.
"The team is confident of playing a great game and I am, too. To the fans, I say, 'Think positive, let's believe, get ready to come back'."
Expectations are high that he can reproduce his improbable hat-trick, which lifted Real Madrid past Wolfsburg in April 2016 with the Spanish giants 2-0 down to the German side after the first leg.
Juventus also have a history of bouncing back in European football's top-tier competition, having overcome a deficit eight times, including the 1996 quarter-finals against Real on their way to winning their second European Cup.
However, Ronaldo, the top scorer in the Champions League for the last six seasons, has scored just once in this year's competition and his task will not get any easier with Atletico's miserly backline yet to concede in their past five games.
Diego Simeone's men have also let in only 17 goals this season - the fewest of any team in LaLiga.
Meanwhile, Schalke will travel to Manchester City for the second leg of their last-16 tie with the axe hanging over coach Domenico Tedesco and confidence at rock bottom.
While the German Bundesliga side put up a creditable showing in the first leg, with City needing two late goals to win 3-2, their fortunes have since nosedived, leaking 11 goals in three league defeats to leave them four points above the relegation places.
Tedesco has already been given an ultimatum by new sporting director Jochen Schneider, with his future resting on the results of the Etihad meeting and a home game with Leipzig on Saturday.
But the German-Italian is unlikely to get much respite against Pep Guardiola's men, who have won their last nine games at home.
Schalke's Austria striker Guido Burgstaller insisted that the squad are still behind Tedesco, although he admitted "hard times are waiting for us" given the team's abysmal form this season.
He said: "No points, no big improvement.
"Things won't get easier, we have to be prepared for that."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
JUVENTUS V ATLETICO
Singtel TV Ch112 & StarHub Ch213, tomorrow, 3.55am
Liverpool will be without forwards Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino when they face Barcelona in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final as they look to overturn a 3-0 deficit, manager
Liverpool's Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino ruled out of Barcelona
Pep Guardiola hopes UEFA Champions League pain 'spurs' on Manchester City Description: Pep Guardiola's side take on Spurs at the Etihad Stadium again on Saturday after VAR ruled out what would have been a stoppage-time winner for City and denied them a place in the last four.
Guardiola hopes Champions League pain spurs on Manchester
DHAKA, March 18 (Reuters) - A lawyer for FIFA council member Mahfuza Akhter Kiron is set to file a petition in a Bangladesh court on Tuesday seeking bail for the official who has been arrested in
Bangladesh FIFA official arrested for 'defaming' PM Hasina
SINGAPORE - Former Football Association of Singapore (FAS) general secretary Winston Lee withdrew his candidacy for one of nine seats on the executive committee members of the Asian Football
Football: Ex-FAS general secretary Winston Lee withdraws
sports-life-news.com/soccer/football-ex-fas-general-secretary-winston-lee-withdraws-candidacy-for-afc-exco-seat/
SINGAPORE - Former Football Association of Singapore (FAS) general secretary Winston Lee withdrew his candidacy for one of nine seats on the executive committee members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), just before the Asian football body's congress in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday (April 6).
Football: Ex-FAS general secretary Winston Lee withdraws
"The future is bright really with all the young players coming through and how well they are doing, that's really good for England. But Henderson warned that England's recent rise makes them a
Youthful talent gives England a bright future, says Henderson
The latest Tweets from CroatianSports (@CroatianSoccer). Your 'ONE STOP SHOP' for all things Croatian sports! Soccer, basketball, MMAwe cover it all!. Los Angeles, CA
Slaven Bilic: 'Croatia can win it. When we take off, it's an
Football: Sevilla put pressure on Spanish La Liga leaders
The Women's World Cup starts on Friday, but who are the favourites and which teams could spring a surprise? Fara Williams, Rachel Yankey and Kelly Smith discuss.
Holders U.S. shrug off weight of World Cup expectations
NEWCASTLE, England (REUTERS) - Crystal Palace all but banished any lingering relegation fears as captain Luka Milivojevic fired home a late penalty to secure a 1-0 Premier League victory at
Milivojevic penalty seals Palace win at Newcastle - Football
Man City's Aguero in frame to face Brighton in FA Cup 2 Min Read FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Fulham v Manchester City - Craven Cottage, London, Britain - March 30, 2019
Football: Man City's Aguero in frame to face Brighton in FA
Warnock proud of Cardiff response to Sala tragedy at Arsenal AFP January 29, 2019 AFP No Comments Ozil, though, failed to make an impact before being subbed 14 minutes from time as Arsenal again relied on the firepower of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette to get them out of trouble.
Football: Di Maria and Mbappe among the goals as PSG win big
Everton had 22 shots against Crystal Palace, only three of which were on target. Everton lost ground in the race for seventh place in the Premier League as they were held to a goalless draw by
Everton held to goalless draw at Palace | Football News
Zainudin bin Nordin is Member of the Bishan-Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency at Parliament of Singapore. View Zainudin bin Nordin's professional profile on Relationship Science, the database of decision makers.
Kayveas claims Deputy Sec Gen Simon Sabapathy was lying, and
0 comments:
Post a Comment