TURIN, Italy (AP) — 8:54 p.m.
Goal! Juventus 1, Real Madrid 0.
Told you Carlos Tevez was looking dangerous. Iker Casillas got a diving hand to the Argentine striker’s fierce shot but Alvaro Morata was there to mop up, tapping in from five yards (meters) against his former club.
A nervous moment for Madrid in the very first minute, as Arturo Vidal bursts into the reigning champion’s box and takes what can kindly be called a tumble. Referee Martin Atkinson wasn’t fooled. No penalty.
Juventus have made the brightest start, with Tevez looking particularly sharp. No wonder Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti is chewing his gum so furiously.
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8:43 p.m.
The noise is deafening as names of the Juventus players are announced in the stadium. Almost every home fan is standing, holding scarves over their heads and singing along to the club song. “Juve, storia di grande amore” is how the chorus starts, “Juve, story of a great love”
English referee Martin Atkinson is leading the players out.
The moment of truth is here.
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8:20 p.m.
One of the “B’s” in Real Madrid’s so-called “BBC” attack force is back. The speedy Gareth Bale is in Carlo Ancelotti’s starting XI, recovered from the injury that forced him to miss the quarterfinal second-leg 1-0 win against Atletico that got Madrid into the semis.
The other “B” — striker Karim Benzema — is still missing, also injured. But Madrid has its mighty “C” — Cristiano Ronaldo, current world player of the year.
Javier Hernandez, who scored the late winner against Atletico, drops to the bench. Marcelo returns from suspension.
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7:58 p.m.
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has made one change to his very defensive team that held Monaco to a scoreless draw in the quarterfinal second-leg, putting Juventus through to the semis thanks to its first-leg penalty goal.
Allegri has dropped the defense-minded Andrea Barzagli to the bench, replacing him with Stefano Sturaro in midfield. Up front, former Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata is paired with Carlos Tevez, who is on a hot scoring streak, with six goals in the competition to add to the 20 he has scored in Serie A this campaign. He also bagged two in the Italian Super Cup.
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7:30 p.m.
If tonight is the main course, tomorrow comes dessert: Barcelona hosting Bayern Munich on Wednesday in the first leg of the other semifinal.
Bayern coach Pep Guardiola, who led Barcelona to 14 titles before heading to Germany, sounded a little conflicted about his homecoming.
“Barca is a very important part of my life. Until now it was everything, but I am here to win,” he said at the Camp Nou dressed in a bright red Bayern shirt. “It’s inevitable not to remember things now. When I joined Bayern, sooner or later this could happen, but the first time is the first time. I am not here for an homage but to see Bayern through to the final.”
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7:10 p.m.
What a football feast. On a warm, dry but overcast evening here in Turin, two giants of the game — Juventus and Real Madrid — play the first of two semifinal legs for a place in the June 6 Champions League final in Berlin. Fans have been gathering outside the Juventus Stadium since early afternoon and flocked at the gates where the team buses drive through, hoping to glimpse the players.
They greeted Madrid’s bus with both boos and cheers. Other fans are playing football in a nearby car park.
Kick-off is under two hours away.
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