When the draw for the UEFA Champions League semi-finals was staged, Real Madrid fans thought it would be an easy task to defeat Juventus. The Bianconeri, crowned for the fourth time in a row as Serie A champions, were by no means intimidated by their distinguished visitors, since they had eliminated them before from a UEFA Champions League final, and they will surely try to do it one more time. Well, things seemed to add up for La Vecchia Signora, and now, it appears like history is on their side, too.
This year marks Juventus' eleventh semi-final appearance in any UEFA-sanctioned tournament. The Bianconeri have emerged victorious seven times, losing only three series. Their most recent semi-final match was against Real Madrid, back in 2003. Los Blancos arrived to that match as the favorites, and looking to re-validate their UEFA Champions League title from 2002, but Juventus, then led by Carlo Ancelotti, managed to eliminate Real Madrid with a 4-3 aggregate.
But if you are looking for a "lucky number" for La Vecchia Signora, here's one statistic that will blow you away.
5 - Juventus have always progressed after winning 2-1 at home the first leg in European competitions: 5 times out of 5. Wait.
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) May 6, 2015
Juventus always made it to the next round after a 2-1 win in the first leg, including the following series.
1961-1962
European Champions Cup, First Round. First leg: Partizan 1-2 Juventus; Second leg: Juventus 5-0 Partizan
1982-1983
European Champions Cup, Quarter-Finals. First leg: Aston Villa 1-2 Juventus; Second leg: Juventus 3-1 Aston Villa.
1989-1990
UEFA Cup, Third Round. First leg: Juventus 2-1 FC Karl-Marx; Second leg: FC Karl Marx 0-1 Juventus.
1996-1997
UEFA Champions League, Semi-Finals. First leg: Ajax 1-2 Juventus; Second leg: Juventus 4-1 Ajax.
1998-1999
UEFA Champions League, Quarter-Finals. First leg: Juventus 2-1 Panathinaikos; Second leg: Panathinaikos 1-3 Juventus.
2014-2015
UEFA Champions League, Semi-Finals. First leg: Juventus 2-1 Real Madrid; Second leg: Real Madrid ?-? Juventus.
Can Real Madrid break Juventus' unbeaten record when they face this Wednesday?
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