TURIN, Italy -- Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri admits his side are going to be slight underdogs when they face Real Madrid and their "shrewd" coach Carlo Ancelotti in the semifinal of the Champions League on Tuesday night, although that does not mean they have no chance of reaching the final in Berlin.
Juve were perhaps the side Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real all wanted when the draw was made just a fortnight ago, but having got this far by eliminating Borussia Dortmund and Monaco, Allegri says his side must now take the next step and prove it has been no fluke.
At the same time, he acknowledged that Real are favourites to go through.
"They are the champions of Europe so compared to us they could have a bit of a better chance, but it's not a semifinal where you can say we've got nothing to lose -- we can lose the chance of being in the final," Allegri said in Turin.
"We've got to be conscious of what we've done so far and that we have a chance, but while remembering at the same time that we're up against very strong opponents."
With that in mind, Allegri admits his side have got to be at their very best to punch their ticket to Berlin.
"When you play games like these, you've got to aim to play I'm not saying a perfect game, but you've got to do some fantastic things in attack and defence," he said "I don't think Juve against Real and Real against Juve will both finish 0-0, so we've got to do well particularly in attack."
That is where Carlos Tevez and Alvaro Morata come in, and the Argentinean, with six goals in 10 games so far this campaign, as well as 20 in Serie A, is more upbeat than his coach about his side's chances.
"They are going to be two very keenly-fought games and the best will go through," he said. "I don't think either side are favourites. Whoever makes the fewer mistakes will go through. It's wide open.
"I think our secret is in the group. We respect the history of this club and the shirt we're wearing, and that's why we're in the semifinals of the Champions League and the final of the Coppa Italia, as well as being champions of Italy already.
"I didn't expect [to be playing in] a semifinal of the Champions League, but I had hoped we would come far."
And now they are there, it is up to Allegri to get the better of Ancelotti -- the last Italian coach to lift the Champions League with an Italian side, with Milan back in 2007. He won it again with Real last May and is on course to becoming the first coach to win the competition for a fourth time.
"Carlo's [Ancelotti] very clever, in addition to being shrewd," said Allegri. "The results he's got in Europe back him up. He's won in Italy, England, France and Spain so I think he's got great quality."