Immobile targeting Juve semi-final meeting

Borussia Dortmund forward Ciro Immobile wants to eliminate former club Juventus in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

The Italy international began his career at Juve, but failed to break into the first team with any regularity and was frequently loaned out.

Moves to Genoa and then Torino followed, and it was at Juve’s city rivals that Immobile began to shine.

The off-season saw him transfer to Dortmund as the Bundesliga outfit attempted to replace Robert Lewandowski, and Immobile’s four goals in the Champions League helped Jurgen Klopp’s side top Group D.

Juventus and Dortmund could be paired in Monday’s draw for the last 16, after the former finished second behind Atletico Madrid in Group A, but Immobile would prefer to meet his former employers at a later stage.

“Could we pick Juventus in the draw for the round of 16? I’d prefer not, as I hope we’ll meet further along the line,” he told Tuttosport.

“We do not fear anyone, but having grown up at Juve I hope the Bianconeri go as far as possible. It would also be important for Italian football.

“In all honesty, I’d hope to meet [Gianluigi] Buffon and the others later in the competition, not right away in the second round.

“It would be wonderful for Torino to go as far in the Europa League as possible. I am a Granata at heart and therefore hope it is my Borussia Dortmund that eliminates Juve from the Champions League.

“The ultimate would be to face them in the semi-final. I also hope the Bianconeri don’t come up against Bayern Munich in the next round.

“As for Borussia, we don’t fear anyone, but just for the environment we’d prefer to avoid a trip to Ukraine against Shakhtar Donetsk.”