Live

Highlights on Off The Ball

02:00 PM-06:00 PM

Highlights on Off The Ball
Advertisement
Soccer

The Madrid derby headlines the Champions League quarter finals

Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid, Vicente Calderon, 7.45pm If the two Madrid sides had not grow...



The Madrid derby headlines the...
Soccer

The Madrid derby headlines the Champions League quarter finals

Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid, Vicente Calderon, 7.45pm

If the two Madrid sides had not grown bored of facing each other before the quarter final draw was made, they certainly will be at the conclusion of the tie.

In a repeat of last years Champions League final, the teams face each other tonight for only the seventh time this season.

Two legged clashes in the Copa del Rey Last 16 and in the Spanish Super Cup, to add to their two league clashes means both managers will not need to brush up on researching their opponents.

Despite the seven point advantage, Real currently have in the league over their southern neighbours, it is Atletico who have the upper hand this season in their six previous clashes.

Diego Simeone's side have four wins and two draws against Los Blancos and have won all three games at home. Despite their record, Atleti do not go into the game as favourites.

Carlo Ancelotti will be boosted by the news that Colombian superstar James Rodriguez and German World Cup star Toni Kroos have returned from suspension. Gareth Bale also returns from injury and expect the trio to return to the starting 11.

Atletico are expected to have Croatian Number 9 Mario Mandzukic return to the side along with midfielder Raul Garcia for this evenings clash.

Last years Spanish champions were seconds away from a historic European title last May in Lisbon, only for Sergio Ramos to deny Atletico the title, before Real overpowered Los Colchoneros in extra time.

Expect tonight's game to be tight and set up for an exciting second leg in the Bernabeau.

Atletico though say they have to "win, win and win."

Juventus v AS Monaco, Juventus Stadium, 7.45pm

Memories of the 1998 Champions League semi-finals will come flooding back for fans this evening as the two sides meet for the first time since Alessandro del Piero's hat trick helped Juve reach their third successive final.

Despite only conceding once in the group stages, Monaco are seen as one of the weaker sides to reach the last eight and go into tonight's game as underdogs.

Arsenal severely underestimated Leonardo Jamdim's side in London and that 3-1 win for Monaco was the backbone for their quarter final entry.

The team from the Principality will be hoping for the same tonight in Turin, but expect the Italian Champions to prove a far sterner test.

Despite last weekend's shock loss to Parma, Juventus remain 12 points clear at the top of Serie A, and remain the most dominant team in Italian football.

The Old Lady are without Paul Pogba but may see Andrea Pirlo return from a calf injury. The Turin side will be heavy favourites to advance to the semi finals.

Despite their solid defence, Monaco have struggled on front of goals too and that should continue this evening.

Captain Jeremy Toulalan and veteran defender Ricardo Carvalho have been included in the squad but may not feature.

Expect Juventus to win tonight, but Massimiliano Allegri's may need to do more in Monte Carlo to ensure their passage to the last four.

Listen back to Dermot Corrigan on last night's Off the Ball speaking about tonight's Madrid derby. 

 

 

Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!

Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.


Read more about

Soccer