Sport

Juventus get real in Madrid

REAL MADRID will be without former international central defender Manuel Sanchis and forward Jose Amavisca, who are both injured…

Wed Mar 06 1996 - 00:00

REAL MADRID will be without former international central defender Manuel Sanchis and forward Jose Amavisca, who are both injured, for the clash with Juventus in tonight's most intriguing European Cup quarter-final, first leg (ITV, 7.30).

However, defender Fernando Hierro, who missed last weekend's Spanish league action because of suspension, returns. Juventus captain Gianluca VialIi has been ruled out after requiring 11 stitches in an ankle gash picked up in Juventus's 5-0 win at Padova on Saturday.

Midfielder Atillio Lombardo is expected to replace him, leaving Alessandro Del Piero and Fabrizio Ravanelli to lead the attack. Out of contention in their domestic league, Juventus will be expected to progress.

Defending champions Ajax also have injury problems for their meeting with Borussia Dortmund (Network 2, 7.30). Ajax will be without suspended defender Frank dy Boer and long term injury victim Marc Overmars. Dortmund have strikers Stephane Chapuisat and Karlheinz Reidle back after knee injuries.

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In the most low-key quarter-final, Panathinaikos travel to Warsaw to take on Legia. The main threat to the Polish champions will come from two Poles playing for Panathinaikos - striker Krzysztof Warzycha, the top scorer in the Greek league with 18 goals, and goalkeeper Jozef Wandzik. However, Panathinaikos will be without defender Marinos Ouzounidis who is serving a one-match suspension.

Spartak Moscow were the only team to win all six matches in the Champions' League, and they meet Nantes in the first leg tonight. Since their impressive pre-Christmas form, several key players - skipper Viktor Onopko, Vasily Kulkov, Sergei Yuran and Stanislav Cherchesov - have left. Dmitry Khlestov is ruled out with a broken leg while fellow defender Ilya Tsymbalar is recovering from a knee operation and may have to wait till the return leg for his European comeback.

Nantes captain Jean-Michel Ferri, defender Laurent Guyot and forwards Reynahl Pedros, Japhet N'Doram and Nicolas Ouedec suffered knocks in last Friday's league defeat at Monaco, but N'Doram is the only doubt.