Madrid: Zinedine Zidane said last week he wants to stay at Real Madrid but how welcome his wishes are will depend on the team’s Champions League tie against Juventus.
Real face Zidane’s former club in the first leg of the quarterfinal on Wednesday, knowing their season, and perhaps the Frenchman’s future as coach, hinges on reaching the Last Four.
The mood in Madrid, however, is upbeat. Real have won 10 out of their last 11 matches, a run that has seen them brush aside PSG and move to within four points of second-placed Atletico Madrid in the league.
Despite winning back-to-back Champions Leagues and the La Liga title last year, Zidane is still not immune to the weight of Real’s expectation.
Thirteen years on, Gianluigi Buffon is the only player likely to make a repeat appearance this week but the two current teams need no introduction, their latest meeting coming in the competition’s final last year.
Bayern up for Sevilla test
Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes has said there were no celebrations when his players watched the Champions League draw come out but Sevilla head into Tuesday’s tie as the overwhelming under-dogs of the quarterfinals.
Only Roma, who play Barcelona on Wednesday, might claim to face a more formidable task in the Last Eight but the Italians have at least grown familiar with the competition’s knock-out rounds in recent seasons.
This will be Sevilla’s first ever appearance in a Champions League quarterfinal.
“The team was not euphoric (at the draw),” Heynckes said.
