Massimiliano Allegri: 'Juventus can beat Real Madrid'

Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri has said that his team are not afraid of facing Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League.

The Bianconeri have not managed to reach the final of the European Cup since 2003, but Allegri believes that they are more than capable of knocking out the current holders.

"It's a fascinating match against the European champions, a stellar team," he told Sky Sport Italia. "We're aware of our ability, and we want to do what we can until the end. We have no fear, but we respect Real.

"If we get to the final it would be extraordinary, but we certainly don't want to settle for just having gotten here [the semi-final]. There's always the tradition of wanting to win here, because that's the tradition of 117 years of a club which has won in Italy and Europe, though in the latter some finals have gone wrong.

"This year we've done well in Europe, but we want to get to the final. We think we can beat Madrid, if that wasn't the case we wouldn't even bother turning up."

Juventus last won the Champions League in 1996.