Madrid will be the Real deal

REAL Madrid will give APOEL Nicosia the respect they deserve by fielding a strong team in tonight’s Champions League quarter-final second leg at the Bernabeu despite holding a healthy 3-0 advantage, said coach Jose Mourinho.

The Cypriots have been the surprise packages, reaching the last eight in their first appearance in Europe’s premier club competition, but they failed to register a single shot on goal in the first leg.

“I won’t make many changes,” Mourinho said. “It is a Champions League game.

“Few believe APOEL will score four goals here tomorrow but in football you must show respect and to the fans as well.”

Real are on the brink of a second consecutive appearance in the semi-finals and are also closing in on their first La Liga title in four years.

The nine-times European champions hold a six-point lead in the Spanish top tier over second-placed Barcelona with eight games to play.