Chiellini: Every footballer dreams of playing Madrid

Cape Town - Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini is hoping for a slice of luck when they renew hostilities with Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.

The Old Lady's quest for a third European crown ended in disappointment 10 months ago when they lost 4-1 to the holders in last season's final.

The two juggernauts meet in the quarter-finals this year, and Chiellini is hoping to banish the memories of the Cardiff encounter in 2017 by claiming a "special" win over the back-to-back defending champions.

The Italy international is looking to draw inspiration from Juve's run to the 2015 final, when they knocked Los Blancos out in the last four of Europe's elite club competition.

"I don't think as this match as revenge [after Cardiff]," he told reporters on Monday. "When you go far in this competition, sooner or later you have to face Real Madrid or Barcelona, who are the best teams in the world right now. Fortunately we have also good memories against them.

"These are the games that every footballer dreams to play. We have great respect for the Real Madrid players but this does not mean that we don't want or we can't beat them.

"If we say they are the best in the world, it is only because most of the critics also say so. But this makes it even more special for us to try to beat team."

Chiellini acknowledges the Bianconeri have to work hard to limit Cristiano Ronaldo's chances over the two legs, with the Portuguese forward having already scored 12 goals in the Champions League this term.

"Ronaldo has scored plenty of goals, not only against us. You cannot even think to limiting him man-by-man, you need all the team to work hard to against him," the Juve vice-captain added.

"But you also need a bit of luck because, in this kind of game, the line between winning and losing is extremely thin."