MADRID (AP) — The Latest from the Champions League semifinal match between Real Madrid and Juventus at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium:
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7:28 p.m.
Real Madrid will start with striker Karim Benzema, recently returned from a knee injury, on the field and move Sergio Ramos back into defense after his ho-hum role in midfield in the first leg.
Raphael Varane is favored over Pepe alongside Ramos at the back.
Real Madrid lineup: Iker Casillas; Dani Carvajal, Raphael Varane, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo; Toni Kroos, James Rodriguez, Isco; Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo.
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7:12 p.m.
Several hundred very loud Real Madrid fans twirling scarves and tossing firecrackers greet the team’s arrival by bus with clouds of pink and purple smoke from lit flares.
Mounted officers and a police chopper overhead escort the defending champions to the stadium.
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7:09 p.m.
As the world’s richest club, Real Madrid can splash out not just on very expensive players but also polished videos to make them look good.
This video, the club says, shows the team whiling away the final hours to tonight’s match by working out together in a Real Madrid gym.
Not explained: why the opening shot lingers on two jugs of orange juice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4csTPEIl81k
Enjoy.
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6:55 p.m.
Fans congregating at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, who have been coping with a sudden heat wave by drinking copious amounts of beer and gin-and-tonics, have good reason to expect a more intense, high-energy encounter than the other semifinal match.
Last night’s game was drained of suspense as Barcelona built up a four-goal lead over Bayern Munich before eventually advancing 5-3 on aggregate.
Tonight, two-time European Cup champion Juventus is nursing a 2-1 lead from the first leg. But Madrid has that away goal, so a 1-0 victory would put the 10-time champions through to their 14th final — and their first against massive rival Barcelona in this competition.
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6:48 p.m.
The heat in Madrid could pose problems for Juventus’ aging stars.
Juventus midfielder Andrea Pirlo is 35, and left back Patrice Evra is 33. Will their legs hold out?
In another notoriously warm game, Pirlo did last the full 90 minutes when Italy beat England in the sweaty Amazon jungle city of Manaus at the 2014 World Cup.
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6:39 p.m.
It’s hot, very, very hot, in Madrid tonight as Juventus gets set to play Real Madrid for a spot in the Champions League final against Barcelona.
The sudden, unseasonal heat wave has driven the thermometer up to 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit).
Even as the sun starts to dip, there is no respite from the heat for fans gathering outside the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium for the second leg of the semifinals.
Juventus heads into the match leading 2-1 from the first leg.
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