Real Madrid are unbeaten in their 2011/12 Champions League campaign to date, winning all six of their group matches and only drawing their first leg of the last sixteen with CSKA Moscow.
APOEL Nicosia qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League winning just two of their six group matches. The Cypriot side conceded just six goals in the group stages and were penalty shootout victors over Lyon to earn their place in the quarter-finals.
Favourites to win this season's Champions League Real Madrid were handed a plumb draw in the quarter-finals as they take on Cypriot side APOEL Nicosia. Madrid are unbeaten in this season's competition and came through their last sixteen match with CSKA Moscow with the minimum of fuss.
APOEL Nicosia became the first Cypriot team to reach the knockout stages this season and have gone on to knock out Lyon on penalties in the last sixteen to set up this quarter-final clash with Jose Mourinho's side. The odds are very much stacked in Madrid's favour and the winner will play whoever wins the tie between Marseille and Bayern Munich in the semi-finals.
Jose Mourinho's side are now long odds on favourites to qualify following their first leg 3-0 win in Cyprus.
MANAGER QUOTES
Jose Mourinho: "I think APOEL are doing a fantastic job. I would like to show them as much respect at the Bernabeu because they are the most important team in this Champions League; any of the other seven teams are pursuing something they’ve achieved before, but APOEL have never won the title."
Ivan Jovanovic: "Madrid are in the semi-finals, there’s no question about that. The second leg will be harder (than the game in Nicosia). We need to try and exit the competition in the best possible fashion. Our campaign will forever be written in gold in the history of not just our club but Cypriot football also."
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