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MADRID: Massimiliano Allegri told Juventus not to be afraid of Atletico Madrid, but that one of these teams fears for the worst of the season in the Champions League.
It would be unthinkable for two clubs, which were among the favorites, to qualify in the draw for the round of 16 in December.
"Those with ambition are not afraid," said Allegri, after his team was coached to play against Atletico, in the first leg, Wednesday, February 20 at Wanda Metropolitano .
"It's like a final, we can not go wrong," said Diego Simeone, the boss of Atletico.
Juventus and Atletico Madrid have qualified for 12 finals of the European Cup. The match last season in Kiev was the first of the last five years.
Atletico won the Europa League instead, proving too strong for the second-tier European competition, while Juventus were eliminated by the future Real Madrid winner, canceled by a controversial Cristiano Ronaldo penalty in the 98th minute.
It was Ronaldo's 10th goal in seven games against Juventus, having scored twice in the first leg and twice in the final in 2017. Juve beat Real two years earlier in the semi-finals, but even in this case, Ronaldo scored one goal at each stage.
There was understandable relief, as well as joy, when the Portuguese changed sides last summer and now there is a belief. Ronaldo has not finished in single figures for the goals in the Champions League since 2011.
As Lionel Messi said: "They already had a good team and now they have Cristiano Ronaldo."
JUVE & # 39; S TWO DECADE WAIT
But with anticipation comes the pressure. Juventus are about to win a Scudetto for the eighth time in a row, but this is the only trophy they want.
Missing again and it will be 23 years since they won the first European prize, this time with his most prolific player of all time.
"We have to be wary of Atletico," Allegri said.
"And we have to find the right moment to score, it is crucial that we get a goal here, otherwise the qualification will be very difficult," he added.
Thomas Lemar, Atletico's personal best last summer, was not even born when Gianluca Vialli hoisted the trophy in 1996 for the Italians, but expectations weigh heavy in their turn.
Atleti has the chance to play a home final this year at Wanda Metropolitano, and not only to grab the Real Cup, but to do it in the city that they call theirs.
"Of course, we are inspired by a final in our own stadium, in our own city, in front of our own fans," Simeone said.
"But it's useless to imagine, reality will be what we deserve," he added.
Simeone extended his contract as an Atleti coach until 2022 last week and so few people can question on the remarkable progress made during his tenure, some people think that a ceiling has been reached.
They are out of the Copa del Rey and seven points from Barcelona in La Liga, where consecutive defeats earlier this month have not allowed to capitalize on a rare Catalan dive.
The summer rookies are not over yet and there is skepticism about Alvaro Morata's arrival in January, not just because of his ties to Real. As the results change, questions about Simeone's style invariably follow.
"It's a style that I like, it makes us win," Griezmann told UEFA on Monday.
Winning a trophy on their own patch would be even better.
"It's an added motivation for us and the fans, and the road to get there will be tough, but we'll give it all," said Griezmann, winner of the World Cup.
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