Sports
It's a repeat of the 2015 Champions League final as Real Madrid host bitter rivals Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final.
Updated : Nov 19, 2017, 02:42 AM IST
Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid
Time: 12:15am (IST - Wednesday)
On TV: Ten 1
Live streaming: Tensports.com
Follow Live: http://dnai.in/es4n
Real Madrid do not have a psychological advantage over Champions League semi-final opponents Atletico Madrid despite beating them in two finals in three years, coach Zinedine Zidane said on Monday.
As well as victories in Lisbon (2014) and Milan (2016), Real knocked Atletico out of the competition in the 2015 quarter-finals. Atletico have never lifted European club football's most prestigious trophy while Real have won it a record 11 times.
Zidane, however, thinks the past will be irrelevant when the teams meet on Tuesday in the first leg at the Bernabeu.
"It means nothing that we've beaten them in this competition," he told reporters on Monday.
"I'm not thinking about Cardiff (the venue for the final) either. We have to win tomorrow's game. We have prepared well and we are ready. Everyone is pumped up and we're ready for the run-in. I wish the game would start now."
The Frenchman confirmed that defender Raphael Varane is fit to play after recovering from a hamstring problem, but Pepe and Gareth Bale will miss the game due to injury. Isco is likely to start in place of Wales forward Bale after being rested for the 2-1 win over Valencia on Saturday.
(Inputs from Reuters)