Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann has tipped Juventus to best Barcelona and reach the Champions League semi-finals, hailing the Italian club for their defensive abilities.
The Old Lady have been drawn to take on the Catalans in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, pitting the best remaining defence in the competition against the most prolific attack.
Juventus have only let in two goals in the elite European tournament this campaign and Griezmann believes that Massimiliano Allegri’s side are solid enough to dispatch of Barcelona, comparing their resiliency to that of his own Atletico side.
Griezmann told L’Equipe: “No-one is above the rest. But I like Juventus, they’re hard to play, like us!
“Bayern, Barça or Real will be in the final shake-up, but they’re playing each other so there will be big matches.
“Juve will get to the semi-finals, I think. They don’t give much away at the back, they’re very solid. They’re complete.”
Juventus saw off Porto in the round of 16, earning a comfortable 3-0 aggregate result against the Portuguese side, but will need to best the side that beat them in 2015 Champions League final to make it to the final four.
Atletico meanwhile will go up against Premier League champions Leicester City in the last eight, after the Foxes eliminated Sevilla and Diego Simeone’s side defeated Bayer Leverkusen.
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