IP addresses are NOT logged in this forum so there's no point asking. Please note that this forum is full of homophobes, racists, lunatics, schizophrenics & absolute nut jobs with a smattering of geniuses, Chinese chauvinists, Moderate Muslims and last but not least a couple of "know-it-alls" constantly sprouting their dubious wisdom. If you believe that content generated by unsavory characters might cause you offense PLEASE LEAVE NOW! Sammyboy Admin and Staff are not responsible for your hurt feelings should you choose to read any of the content here. The OTHER forum is HERE so please stop asking.
The former Germany international feels the Bavarians do not deserve to be criticised after the defeat because they were beaten by the strongest side in the continent
Bayern Munich sporting director Matthias Sammer has praised his side's effort in Wednesday's 3-0 defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final first-leg, admitting that they were beaten by Europe's very best.
Despite missing Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery and David Alaba, Pep Guardiola's men managed to keep the Catalans relatively quiet for 77 minutes, but a Lionel Messi double and a Neymar strike eventually handed the Catalans a comfortable win, thus all but ending Bayern's European ambitions.
"What the team’s achieved so far is entirely praiseworthy," Sammer told the official Bayern website. "I cannot criticise the team. They fight away and give everything. Due to all the different circumstances with injuries, we’ve come up against our own limits.
"We resisted pretty well for 77 minutes against a team that’s currently on song and is probably the best in Europe at the moment, but we lost our shape at the end, and then we wanted too much.
"We’re at home in the return, and we owe it to our supporters to put on a show. First of all, we need to pick ourselves up and digest the result."
The return will take place at the Allianz Arena on May 12.
The Spain international singled out the Argentine for special praise after Wednesday's win over Bayern, but has insisted Barcelona cannot afford to start celebrating yet
Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets believes the presence of Lionel Messi is almost a guarantee for success following his virtuoso performance against Bayern Munich at Camp Nou on Wednesday.
The Argentina international scored twice and set up one more to help Barcelona to a 3-0 win in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final and Busquets was in awe of the prolific forward's display.
"Having Messi in the team guarantees everything," the midfielder told the official Barcelona website.
"He doesn’t just score goals, he gives assists, he works and wins the ball. He’s the best player in the world."
Busquets then went on to admit that Barca are in pole position to make it to the final in Berlin, but stressed they cannot afford to take the second leg lightly as Bayern can still cause them trouble.
"We knew we’d have our chances. We had confidence in ourselves. We now know that if we get a goal in Munich then we’ll be in a great position. We’ll approach the game in the Allianz Arena like any other – looking to win.
"Even though everyone says we’re the favourites, we’ll go step by step because Bayern will know how to cause us problems at home, especially with the coach they’ve got."
The Argentina international helped his side to a crucial home-win, but he has acknowledged things could have gone differently had they not had a bit of luck
Lionel Messi has admitted Barcelona were somewhat fortunate in Wednesday's 3-0 win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-final first-leg.
The Argentina captain once again stole the show on his 100th European appearance as his late double set Barca on their way to victory at Camp Nou, before he provided the assist for Neymar's goal well into stoppage time.
The 27-year-old 's performance ruined the homecoming of Bayern coach Pep Guardiola, but the attacker has admitted things could easily have gone differently, before warning that the Bundesliga champions still pose a threat in next week's return leg at the Allianz Arena.
"We were lucky to score the first goal," Messi told reporters.
"Then the others came after that in quick succession and we have come away with a great result for the second-leg game, which is just what we wanted.
"Germany will be a tough venue. We have got a great result, but we must now go there and we can't drop our guard."
The forward then went on to explain that his jubilant celebration after his first goal was a result of Barca finally finding a way past Bayern.
"It was just my happiness about what the goal meant. We hadn't been able to score and it was an important goal in the tie."
Ter Stegen: Barcelona's third goal was an injustice
By Stefan Coerts
May 7, 2015 11:07:07
The German shot stopper feels the final result was a bit harsh on the Bundesliga champions, while he praised Lionel Messi following his sublime display
Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has stressed his side's 3-0 Champions League win over Bayern Munich was not as easy as the final score suggests.
Two goals from Lionel Messi and a single Neymar strike in the final 15 minutes of the game helped Luis Enrique's men to a vital win at Camp Nou in the first leg of their semi-final tie.
However, Ter Stegen has admitted it was not an easy game for Barcelona and feels the final scoreline was harsh on Bayern.
"It wasn’t as easy as the score might suggest," Ter Stegen was quoted as saying on the official Bayern website.
"We kept going after opening the scoring and made it 2-0, but the third was almost an injustice, hard on Bayern but fantastic for us.
"A 3-0 lead sounds comfortable, but you always have a fight on your hands in Munich. I think the return will be very difficult."
The German shot stopper then went on to praise Messi following his man-of-the-match performance on Wednesday.
"We regard Messi as the best in the world. It’s great having him in the team."
Barcelona will play like it's our last game - Neymar
By Alec Fenn
May 7, 2015 14:56:41
The Brazilian accepts the Catalans have a big advantage over Bayern in the Champions League, but says they won't take their foot off the gas
Neymar says Barcelona will treat the second leg of their Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich as if it is "the last game of their lives".
The Catalans won 3-0 in the first leg at Camp Nou on Wednesday, with the Brazilian scoring a late third after Lionel Messi's brilliant second-half double.
Barca are now firm favourites to reach the final but, despite acknowledging their advantage, Neymar says the team won't take their foot off the gas.
"We will go to Germany and play as though it's the last game of our lives," the Brazilian forward told reporters. "We have taken a big step forward but we must also be calm and show humility."
Barca midfielder Ivan Rakitic also gave his reaction to the result and joined those hailing the genius of Messi, who was subject to an outpouring of praise on social media during and after the first leg.
"People will say that I'm exaggerating but Messi is a true example of the difference between great players and unique players," he told Canal Plus.
"We are delighted with his performance and his goals. We deserved this result."
The Croatia star also echoed the sentiments of Neymar in insisting Barca would go all out for victory at the Allianz Arena next Tuesday.
"Bayern showed against Porto what they can do in the second leg after losing the first game. We know their coach and style of play and they'll want to take advantage of being at home.
"But we don't want to slow down our pace and we will be looking for opportunities to score goals."
Juventus given Pogba fitness boost ahead of Real Madrid return leg
By Alec Fenn
May 7, 2015 18:29:11
The club have confirmed that the midfielder is back in full training having been sidelined for over seven weeks with a hamstring injury
Paul Pogba could be fit to face Real Madrid in next week's Champions League decider after he returned to Juventus training on Thursday.
The 22-year-old missed the 2-1 semi-final first leg victory over Carlo Ancelotti's men on Tuesday after a lengthy absence with a hamstring injury.
Pogba has not played since picking up the problem in the 3-0 win against Borussia Dortmund in the second leg of their quarter-final tie on March 19.
The France international now looks set to give Bianconeri boss Massimiliano Allegri a selection dilemma as he decides whether or not to throw the midfielder straight back into action.
Arturo Vidal, Claudio Marchisio, Andrea Pirlo and Stefano Sturaro started in a midfield four against the European champions, but one of them is expected to be sacrificed to the bench if the Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain target is fit.
Pogba could be handed a run out against Cagliari on Saturday, with Juve set to rest a host of first-team players having already wrapped up the Scudetto last Saturday.
Marchisio: Juventus will not just sit back and defend against Madrid
By Stefan Coerts
May 8, 2015 10:58:21
The Italy international has vowed his side will not rest on their slender lead and has hailed their progress in Europe in recent years
Claudio Marchisio has insisted that Juventus will not just sit back and defend in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final tie with Real Madrid.
The Serie A champions defend a 2-1 leg from the first leg when they travel to the Santiago Bernabeu next week and Marchisio has stressed that they will not repeat the mistakes that nearly cost them in the quarter-finals against Monaco, when they progressed 1-0.
"We'll be playing against a great team in a fine stadium, but we need to focus on ourselves. We mustn't repeat the errors we made in Monte Carlo where we sat back and waited for the opposition," the Italy international told Sky Sport Italia.
"You can't afford to do that against Real Madrid and we must play an open game."
Marchisio went on to hail Juventus' progress in Europe in recent years and feels this season should now be considered the benchmark for the coming years.
"Three years ago we weren't in the Champions League, then we reached the quarter-finals and last year, despite going out at the group stage, we almost got to the Europa League final," he said.
"This year we've proved ourselves and this needs to become the norm at Juventus, even if we know that teams with bigger budgets than ours struggle.
"Just look at how long Real had to wait for their 10th European Cup."
The Bavarians were hammered 3-0 at Camp Nou on Wednesday but the defender insists that they have the ability to batter the Blaugrana at the Allianz Arena
Mehdi Benatia is adamant that Bayern Munich can overturn a three-goal deficit in next week's Champions League second-leg showdown with Barcelona but conceded that Pep Guardiola's men will have produce "the perfect game" to progress to the final.
The German titleholders suffered a shock 3-0 loss at Camp Nou on Wednesday, with Lionel Messi netting a sensational double before Neymar struck in the dying seconds to seemingly end the last-four tie as a contest.
However, Benatia insists that all is not lost and is taking heart from the fact that Bayern hammered Porto 6-1 at the Allianz Arena in the quarter-finals, having lost the first leg 3-1.
"It is not easy, but if we do not believe, we can all stay at home," the defender is quoted as saying by L'Equipe.
"We also have great players and the ability to play better.
"If we get our shots away quicker, we will score. We can win 4-0.
"But we need the perfect game and to go in there and get ahead early.
"We have shown that we can score goals at home, even though we have not played against Barca yet."
Bayern are hoping to avoid bowing out at the same stage of the Champions League for the second successive season, with the Bavarians having been routed 5-0 on aggregate by Real Madrid in last year's semis.
Juventus have been given a huge boost ahead of their UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg, with the news that Paul Pogba is set to return to action at the weekend.
France star Pogba has been out of action since sustaining a hamstring injury in Juve's last-16 meeting with Borussia Dortmund in March.
With a 2-1 lead to protect against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri says Pogba is likely to feature against Cagliari on Saturday.
"Pogba trained well yesterday with the ball. He could play tomorrow, either starting or coming off the bench," he said.
With the Serie A title already secure, Allegri confirmed he would rest players ahead of the midweek clash in Madrid.
"I'll change things up tomorrow. It was an energy-sapping game on Tuesday, so we'll give others the chance to play," he said. "Carlos Tevez is to be rested.
"We'll need to put in a great performance in Madrid, an even better one than we showed on Tuesday.
"If we do well and have an element of luck on our side, we can make the final. But Real are an extraordinary team.
"It's important for us to reach a Champions League semi-final in a season where the aim was to get through the group stages.
"Nobody would have imagined we'd be 95 minutes away from Berlin. Or at least we hope it's 95!"
Mijatovic: Ancelotti can lead Madrid to Champions League glory
By Rupert Fryer
May 9, 2015 13:57:11
The former Champions League winner has dimissed criticism of the Italian coach, insisting he is the right man to take the club to their 11th European crown
Former Real Madrid forward Pedrag Mijatovic is confident coach Carlo Ancelotti has what it takes to lead the club to a second consecutive Champions League title.
Madrid are looking to become the first team to retain the crown in the Champions League era as they host Juventus on Wednesday in the semi-final second leg, but must overturn their 2-1 defeat in Turin on Tuesday.
Ancelotti, though, has come under criticism with his team sitting two points behind Barcelona in La Liga and in danger of slipping out of the continent's most prestigious competition.
However, Mijatovic, who scored the only goal of the game as Madrid beat Juve 1-0 to claim the 1998 Champions League title, believes they will overturn the deficit and feels Italian is the right man to take the Spanish side to their 11th European crown.
“Ancelotti is a great coach," Mijatovic told AS.
“Modric's absence through injury is very important, but I am confident in Ancelotti because he always finds solutions and in one year he won four titles in Madrid. What more can we ask for?
“He is fighting for everything and I don't understand some of the criticism.”
Mijatovic also jumped to the defence of goalkeeper 33-year-old Iker Casillas, who has faced heavy criticism after a number of high-profile errors in recent seasons.
“I do not understand it,” he said.
“With what he's done with for Real Madrid he deserves the respect of everyone who has seen him play.
“He is at a certain age and no one can play forever, but you have to respect him. And I have to say that this season is doing well. Everyone should leave him alone."
Madrid injury crisis grows as Kroos is forced off against Valencia
By Miles Chambers
May 9, 2015 19:30:00
The German midfielder was substituted for Asier Illarramendi midway through the first half, making him a doubt for the Champions League decider against Juventus
Real Madrid's midfield crisis continued as Toni Kroos was forced off with a back injury against Valencia on Saturday, making him a major doubt to face Juventus in their Champions League semi-final decider.
The Germany international has been a constant figure in the Blancos' first team, starting all but two of their Liga matches since joining from Bayern Munich last summer, but only lasted 25 minutes against los Che before landing awkwardly in a challenge and being replaced by Asier Illarramendi.
Carlo Ancelotti could now potentially be without him for Madrid's crucial European clash with Juve on Wednesday in which they trail 2-1 after the first leg in Turin.
Ancelotti has already been forced to play Sergio Ramos in an unorthodox midfield role due to Luka Modric's injury - though he reverted to a 4-3-3 to push the Spaniard back into defence against Valencia - and Kroos' absence is likely to exacerbate the reigning European champions' woes.
Shortly after Kroos was withdrawn from the action at the Santiago Bernabeu, Javi Fuego added to Paco Alcacer's opener to leave Madrid's La Liga hopes hanging in the balance.
Barcelona's 2-0 victory over Real Sociedad earlier in the day left Madrid needing a victory to ensure they do not fall five points behind in the title race with just two games remaining.
Madrid's task of overturning their first-leg deficit to Juve has already been made more difficult following the return to action of Paul Pogba, who scored in an hour-long cameo in the Serie A champions' draw with Cagliari earlier on Saturday.
'Bayern still a top team despite Barcelona beating' - Verhaegh
May 9, 2015 12:36:59
Augsburg captain Paul Verhaegh says his side must be at their very best if they are to get anything from Saturday's Bavarian derby at the Allianz Arena
Augsburg captain Paul Verhaegh insists Bayern Munich are still one of the world’s top sides, dismissing any notions that Pep Guardiola’s side are on the ropes following their 3-0 beating at the hands of Barcelona.
The injury-ravaged Bundesliga titleholders held out for 77 minutes of their Champions League semi-final first-leg clash at Camp Nou on Wednesday before a Lionel Messi double and a late Neymar strike gave the Catalans a commanding lead ahead of next week's return fixture at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern are now expected to rest a number of players for Saturday’s domestic meeting with Augsburg but Verhaegh is refusing to kick his club's Bavarian rivals while they're down.
“Bayern aren’t any worse just because they’ve had the Champions League game, because every player in the Bayern squad has huge potential,” he said.
“Every one of us will have to give everything if we’re to perform at our best as a team.
“We’ll do whatever we can to get a result. If we play well and Bayern have an off day, anything could happen.”
Bayern are particularly desperate for a morale-boosting victory after a DFB-Pokal semi-final defeat to Dortmund and a Bundesliga reverse at the hands of Leverkusen prior to the clash with Barcelona.
Augsburg, enjoying a season that has thus far see them exceed expectations in the Bundesliga, sit one point clear of Werder Bremen in sixth-place – Germany’s final Europa League place.
Bayern have won six of their seven BL meetings with their fellow Bavarians, conceding a total of just three goals in the process.
The Russia coach says the possible return of the France international from a hamstring injury will be vital to the Old Lady's chances at the Bernabeu
Fabio Capello believes Paul Pogba must play for Juventus if the Italians are to see off Real Madrid and secure a place in the Champions League final.
The semi-final clash remains delicately balanced after the Bianconeri won the first leg 2-1 in Turin – a match which Pogba was forced to miss through injury.
Capello says Juventus’ hopes of ending a 12-year wait for a Champions League final could well depend on the fitness of the former Manchester United midfielder, who has been out with a hamstring injury since March but is set to make his comeback in Saturday's Serie A clash with Cagliari.
“The most important thing, for me, is that Pogba has to be there,” the Russia coach told AS.
“He’s a great player. He is strong, physical, has quality, a nice touch and a good finish... He has everything.”
The Italian champions sat deep to see out a deserved victory in the first leg, with a switch to three at the back in the closing stages of the first leg frustrating Madrid's much-vaunted attack.
Capello, who has coached both clubs, suspects that Bianconeri boss Massimiliano Allegri could well repeat the trick in the Spanish capital.
“Juventus know very well how to play in different ways," he said. "I don’t know [if they will play three central defenders]. It depends on whether they fear the match of if they want to score a goal."
Capello then went on to say that he hopes Madrid can make up the two points that separate them from current Liga leaders Barcelona, and that the Catalans' own Champions League concerns distract them from their domestic duties.
“Everybody knows I’m a Real Madrid fan,” he said. “But Barcelona are at a high level, look what they did to Bayern Munich [a 3-0 win at Camp Nou on Wednesday]. It was incredible.
"There is a hope that they will relax a little, like what happened in [the recent 2-2 Liga draw at Sevilla].”
'Messi the greatest club player of all time' - Carragher
By Mark Doyle
May 8, 2015 23:10:59
The former England international believes that the Argentine's consistency over the past decade puts him above the likes of Alfredo di Stefano, Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff
Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher believes that Lionel Messi has proven himself the best club player of all time.
The Argentine is the talk of the football world once again, after a stunning two-goal salvo in Barcelona's 3-0 victory over Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final at Camp Nou on Wednesday.
Numerous ex-players were quick to argue that the four-time Ballon d'Or winner's stunning performance offered conclusive proof that the diminutive No.10 deserves to be recognised as the finest talent the game has ever seen.
Carragher feels that an argument could still be made that Messi needs to lift the World Cup to be ranked No.1 but the former England international is in no doubt that the 27-year-old has surpassed all others at club level.
"His achievements over the last decade have been so breathtaking that you could say he has outstripped those who have gone before — and it is quite possible we will never see them bettered," he wrote in The Daily Mail
"The men with whom we are comparing him are gods — Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer and Alfredo di Stefano. Pele doesn’t enter the debate. He won 10 league titles and two Copa Libertadores with Santos but I feel European competition has always been more competitive.
"It gets said that the standards in La Liga are not taxing for him and Cristiano Ronaldo but look at Messi’s record in the Champions League: he now has an astonishing 77 goals — two of which defined finals against Manchester United in Rome (2009) and at Wembley (2011) — in just 97 games. His consistency is remarkable.
"He has taken Barcelona to heights they had never known. During his time, they have turned one European Cup into four with the promise of a fifth in Berlin next month. They have also dominated Spanish football and a sixth league title in 10 years is within their grasp.
"I understand the game is now not as physical as it used to be in the days of Maradona and Cruyff but they never had to endure the scrutiny and exposure that comes with today’s game, the constant analysis of performances and the pressure to produce results, which Messi has to deal with ...
"The job of facing the 27-year-old, who is now scoring 50 or 60 goals a season from his free role, however, is now the most difficult in football, as the unfortunate Jerome Boateng found out to his cost on Wednesday.
"Quite simply, Messi has been the greatest player in the best club team we have ever seen."
Messi's double against Bayern saw him reclaim the all-time Champions League goalscoring record from Real Madrid ace Cristiano Ronaldo.
Pogba fires Real Madrid warning: I'm fit and fine now
By Miles Chambers
May 9, 2015 19:52:00
The Frenchman was out for over seven weeks with a hamstring injury but made a goalscoring return on Saturday in Juventus' draw with Cagliari
Paul Pogba has warned Real Madrid he is fit again and ready for Wednesday's Champions League clash after scoring in Juventus' 1-1 draw with Cagliari on Saturday.
Pogba scored the opening goal for Massimiliano Allegri in Turin, making his first appearance since limping off against Borussia Dortmund with a hamstring injury over seven weeks ago, before being substituted off in the 63rd minute for Paolo De Ceglie.
Interviewed at half-time - before Luca Rossettini headed in an equaliser five minutes from full-time against the already-crowned Serie A champions - the France midfielder was delighted to be back in action for Juve.
"I came back after 52 days on the sidelines," Pogba told Sky Sport. "I'm not at 100 per cent yet but today I'm playing at least.
"I felt a little bit of a twinge, but I'm fine now. I'm happy with how it went."
Pogba has been heavily linked with a transfer to a host of clubs this summer, with an €80 million fee having been agreed with Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid believed to be extremely interested in a potential move.
Guardiola: Barcelona will batter Bayern if we just chase goals
By Miles Chambers
May 9, 2015 18:30:00
The coach - who suffered a fourth straight loss for the first time in his coaching career on Saturday - pleaded with his players to focus on more than just scoring
Pep Guardiola has warned that Bayern Munich will get hammered by Barcelona if they only focus on scoring goals on Tuesday - the same way they were by Real Madrid last season.
Guardiola took the Bavarians to the Champions League semi-finals in 2013-14 and, after losing the first leg 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu, watched from the sidelines as his charges were mauled 4-0 in an Allianz Arena embarrassment.
Bayern are in an even worse predicament this year, having been beaten 3-0 by Barca last week at Camp Nou, but Guardiola has called on his players to concentrate on playing good football rather than reducing the goal deficit.
"If we only focus on scoring on Tuesday, we will lose in the same way we did in last year's semi-final decider to Madrid," the ex-Barca boss told reporters. "We have to stay calm, play our own game and see what happens."
Bayern had to play 77 minutes against Augsburg on Saturday with 10 men due to Pepe Reina's red card early on at the Allianz Arena, with Raul Bobadilla punishing the Bundesliga champions by scoring the only goal of the game in a shock 1-0 win.
Guardiola acknowledged that being a man down for most of the match took its toll on his side while pointing the finger of blame at his injury list containing star forwards Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery.
"Bayern have no wingers left who can attack on the flanks," the Spaniard, who had never before lost four consecutive matches as a coach, added. "We're reliant on our full-backs to attack down those avenues.
"It wasn't easy to play for 80 minutes with 10 men, especially after that 3-0 loss at Barcelona. I'm actually very proud of the players."
Allegri: Juventus need near perfection to beat Madrid
May 10, 2015 20:08:33
The coach feels the upcoming clash at the Santiago Bernabeu is the biggest his side have been involved in in 12 years but feels they can progress
Juventus need to produce an "almost perfect" performance to progress past Real Madrid and reach a first Champions League final in 12 years, according to head coach Massimiliano Allegri.
The Serie A champions head to the Spanish capital on Wednesday leading 2-1 from the semi-final first leg last week.
A 2-2 home draw with Valencia on Saturday appears to have ended Real's La Liga title challenge, as leaders Barcelona stretched their lead to four points with two games remaining, giving extra significance to the second-leg clash with Juve.
Allegri is confident that his side can put in a great performance against Carlo Ancelotti's men and make a shock appearance in the final in Berlin.
"We have to focus and treat it as it's the most important game of the year," said the Juve coach.
"We have to try to secure qualification in Madrid that won't be easy for sure, but it could also take us to an unexpected final.
"Juventus are having a good spell from a physical point of view.
"The club hasn't played a game of this importance for 12 years, but I believe we now have the experience and confidence to play well at this level.
"On Wednesday we will need to deliver a performance that is almost perfect. I won't say perfect because that is impossible in football, but for sure we'll need our best performance to go through."
The defender came through a training session on Sunday and could feature against Bayern Munich on Tuesday night
Barcelona have been boosted by the return of defender Jeremy Mathieu after he was named in their squad to face Bayern Munich on Tuesday.
The France international missed the first leg of the Catalans Champions League semi-final against the Bundesliga side last week with an Achilles problem.
However, the former Valencia man came through a training session on Sunday and coach Luis Enrique must now decide whether to start him at the Allianz Arena.
In his absence, Javier Mascherano lined up alongside Gerard Pique at centre-back as Barca ran out 3-0 winners at Camp Nou and all but sealed their place in the final.
Mathieu also sat out Saturday's 2-0 victory over Real Sociedad, which saw the club move four points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga with two games to play.
The midfielder picked up a back injury in the 2-2 draw with Valencia on Sunday but has been given the all clear after a medical examination on Sunday
Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has been passed fit to face Juventus on Wednesday following an injury scare.
The midfielder was substituted 25 minutes into the first half of the Blancos' 2-2 draw with Valencia on Saturday with a back problem, sparking fears he would join Luka Modric on the Santiago Bernabeu sidelines.
Kroos' absence would have given Carlo Ancelotti a major midfield headache ahead of the second leg of his side's Champions League semi-final, but Goal understands a medical examination on Sunday cleared the Germany international to feature against the Scudetto holders.
The 25-year-old tried to extinguish lingering injury concerns by thanking fans for encouraging comments and telling his Twitter followers "don't worry, let's focus on Wednesday" after his check-up.
It will be all the more important for Madrid that Kroos is fit after the reigning European champions blew their chance of catching Barcelona in the Liga title race by dropping points at home to Valencia.
The club trail Juventus 2-1 following the first leg of their Champions League tie last week, in what is their only remaining hope of winning silverware this season.
Sevilla's Champions League hopes not dead - Carcedo
By Peter McVitie
May 11, 2015 01:04:33
The assistant coach is confident they can reach Europe's premier competition through the Europa League if they do not beat Valencia to fourth place
Sevilla assistant Juan Carlos Carcedo feels his side still have a great chance of qualifying for next season's Champions League, despite Sunday's 1-1 draw with Celta.
The Rojiblancos were without coach Unai Emery for the game as he left the camp earlier in the day after hearing of the death of his father.
Kevin Gameiro paid tribute to the boss after opening the scoring by holding a t-shirt which had a message of consolation, but the hosts were able to rescue a point when Santi Mina converted a penalty.
The draw leaves Sevilla in fifth, three points behind Valencia, who occupy the final Champions League spot in La Liga, with two games to go.
However, with his side in with a chance of reaching the Europa League final to challenge for a place in next season's premier competition, Carcedo is not worried just yet.
"The important thing is that we keep fighting until the last moment," he told reporters.
"We have several ways to reach the Champions League and the Europa League is close so we want to make that the priority. It was therefore important to refresh the team for this game.
"The important thing now is to recover for Thursday's game against Fiorentina because we expect a tough match. Our 3-0 lead from the first leg is very good but we cannot rely on it."
Emery's second in command was happy with Sevilla's performance on Sunday, but feels they would have won had they been able to go 2-0 before the decisive penalty.
"It was a very intense game, as expected. The key was that we had several opportunities in the first half to get the second goal but we had no luck.
"We knew that Valencia had earned a point against Real Madrid but we came into this after a very intense match on Thursday. We tried to change the team and the effort was noticed.
"We tried to dedicate a victory to Unai and his family but it didn't work out. Even so, I am proud of the whole team and I hope his family feels a bit relieved at this hard time."
