Real must recover for tough semi-final against Juventus

Real Madrid will need to regain their imperious European form in a hurry before meeting Juventus in the first of this week's Champions League semi-finals after an astonishing 5-1 home defeat in La Liga on Saturday.

Real were thrashed at the Santiago Bernabeu by Real Mallorca, who recovered from a 1-0 halftime deficit to score five times in the second half and send Real crashing to a first home league defeat for two-and-a-half years.

Real were whistled off after a shocking second-half display which has raised real doubts about their ability to retain the European Cup.

They face Juventus in the first leg of their semi in Madrid on Tuesday and Juventus coach Marcello Lippi was quick to point out that the scoreline meant that Real might not be in "good health" -- but warned his team about taking anything for granted.

"It would be difficult for such a thing as losing 5-1 at home to a mid-table side to happen in Italy, but it is funny old world and this can happen before an important game," Lippi told Italian television TG5 on Sunday.

"It is a sign that they are not in absolute good health because a team that is in top form doesn't lose 5-1 at home," he added.

"But we shouldn't have any illusions -- it will be a different game on Tuesday. Whoever thinks they can draw conclusions from recent games is mistaken and that goes for us as well," he said.

Real are still a point clear at the top of the Spanish league with six games remaining.

Juve are closer to winning their second straight Italian title after Saturday's goalless draw at Lazio left them eight points clear of their only challengers Inter Milan with three games remaining.

Inter, who face AC Milan in the first leg of the other semi-final on Wednesday, were held to a 1-1 draw at lowly Atalanta meaning Juve can wrap up their 27th Italian title with a win over Perugia next week.

Juve have no injury worries ahead of their trip to Madrid but will be without three key players who are suspended.

Central defender Paolo Montero will likely be replaced by Mark Iuliano while Lippi faces some tricky choices over how to cover for suspended midfielders Edgar Davids and Alessio Tacchinardi.

Croatian Igor Tudor and experienced Italian Antonio Conte could come straight into the central midfield slots but Lippi might consider using a spare defender, such as Alessandro Birindelli or Gianluca Pessotto, as a man-marker on Real's French midfielder Zinedine Zidane.

All four clubs in this week's semis are former European Cup winners -- the first time that has happened since 1980-81 when Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Liverpool reached the last four.

Real Madrid are seeking a 10th European Cup success, while Milan have won the title five times, Inter twice and Juve twice.

It could yet be an all-Italian final at Old Trafford on May 28 -- or else Real will meet either Inter or Milan. The two Italian clubs have never faced each other in Europe before but have played each other 142 times in Serie A.

Both will have players missing through suspension on Wednesday - AC Milan will be without midfielder Massimo Ambrosini while midfielder Cristiano Zanetti is banned for Inter.

Real and Juventus have met eight times in Europe in the past 41 years -- all the matches being in either the European Cup or Champions League.

Their last clash was in the 1998 Champions League final which Real won 1-0 in Amsterdam.