AT Atletico Madrid we faced both Juventus and Real Madrid in this season’s Champions League. Having played against Juventus, we believed they would be one of the teams that would be there among the best in Europe.
Juventus have been competing extremely well in Italy for many years and after facing them in the group stages, I was convinced they would go far in this competition.
Italian football has had something of a dip in recent years and the presence of Juventus in the semi-finals serves as motivation for the other teams in Serie A. Football is contagious in that sense and it will be a challenge for other clubs to emulate the achievements of Juventus.
Historically, Juventus are an extremely dangerous team in knockout competitions. They are a strong side and their midfield, in particular, is outstanding.
Paul Pogba (who will miss the first leg through injury) is a special player. He has great vision, is very good at timing his runs into the box and he scores goals. That makes him a very complete footballer and adds so much to the midfield for Juventus. His presence helps improve the team’s overall play and he gives them balance in the midfield, which is such an important part of the team.
Carlos Tevez is another special player. As a coach, it is difficult to find a way of stopping him or restricting his influence because he plays far away from the area, he times his runs really well, he brings the ball forward, he is good one-on-one and he links up well with his team-mates. He has had some extraordinary seasons at Juventus and in football terms, he is a real man.
Right now, he is one of the most competitive forwards in Europe. His function within the team is not that of an out-and-out striker, but his numbers are up there with the best. So he is a very valuable player to have in the team because he gives you an extra man in midfield in order to combine in attack and also arrives with his runs into the area. That makes him very important.
He is a very intelligent player who has had a very special career. Only he will know when is the right time to leave Europe and return to Argentina.
In eight games against Real Madrid this season, we went unbeaten in seven. We competed in the best possible way in the quarter-finals and only lost out after 178 of the 180 minutes.
In the first match, Real Madrid were better in the first half, but we evened it up in the second. And the second leg was a classic Champions League quarter-final match where any situation or detail can favour one of the two teams – and that is exactly what happened with Arda Turan’s red card. That altered the state of the game in the last few minutes and swung the balance in favour of Real Madrid.
They have a lot of qualities. Carlo Ancelotti is a coach with great experience who knows how to get the best balance in his team and he has a very talented group of footballers at his disposal. That, plus the hierarchy and history of Madrid, means they will be prepared for any test ahead of them.
I wouldn’t underestimate Juventus, though. The four teams in the semi-finals all have a great chance of reaching the final and, as I said, the ties could be decided by small details.