Serie A champs Juventus are expected to kill off the competition against Monaco when both sides meet in the return leg of the Champions League on Tuesday.
The Italian side have a two goal advantage that they would exploit to the fullest when they host the French side. Juve started well, with Gonzalo Higuain grabbing a brace in the first leg at Stade Louis II last week.
The coach of the home side Massimiliano Allegri is taking no chances as he rested key players over the weekend when they face Torino in the local league. They struggled to get a 1-1 draw despite their numerical advantage for over 30 minutes.
Higuain had to dig deep to secure a point for the team but the Bianconeri failed to extend their league record to 34 successive victories. The team would rely on the Argentina international again as they face an attacking youthful French side.
Monaco are still dreaming of an epic final with any of the Madrid teams despite the 2-0 limit. They defeated Nancy 3-0 over the weekend to keep their Ligue 1 hopes firm and warn Juve that they could usurp them at home. That would make Monaco the first team to overturn a 2-0 home defeat in the history of the tournament knockout rounds.
Sami Khedira is expected to return after missing the first leg due to suspension. He is expected to join Miralem Pjanic and Claudio Marchisio in the middle. However, Monaco would likely miss left back Benjamin Mendy.
Monaco are making their fourth appearance in the last four. No other French side has reached the semis more than once. However, this would likely be the end of the road for the young French side but they surely have had an impressive season. They are the favourites to lift the Ligue 1, stopping PSG after six years.
Juventus have not conceded in over 600 minutes – the longest run in the competition. Their experienced defence will likely be a handful for Real Madrid if they both meet in the finals.