Buffon braced for Ronaldo challenge

Gianluigi Buffon is prepared for two games “more complicated than usual” against Cristiano Ronaldo when Juventus face Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Juve host Madrid in Turin in Tuesday’s first leg as they look to take a positive result to the Santiago Bernabeu in pursuit of a third successive European crown. 

The Serie A side will be out for revenge after their defeat to Madrid in last season’s final in Cardiff, when Ronaldo led the way with a brace in a 4-1 win for Los Blancos.

And the 33-year-old Portugal star goes into the tie in fine form, having scored 23 times in his last 13 appearances for club and country.

  #JuveRM Matchday -1

15.45 –  Training (LIVE )
18.30 – @realmadriden press conference (LIVE )
19.20 –  press conference (LIVE ) #UCL pic.twitter.com/n936wjYeB5

— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) April 2, 2018

With that in mind, Buffon is expecting to be kept busy over the course of the two legs.

“When Madrid is on the front foot, the goalkeeper and the defence have so many problems,” the veteran goalkeeper told AS.

“This team boasts so much quality that one name or another changes very little. Of course, I know that Cristiano will be there and that he will give me a couple of nights that are more complicated than usual.”