Football: Raul provides Real with slim advantage

Real Madrid 1 Juventus 0

A solitary goal from the 18-year-old Raul was enough to give the Real Madrid victory over Juventus in a pulsating European Cup quarter-final first leg game at the Bernabeu stadium last night.

The Italian champions' predicament will have been further hampered by the bookings of Massimo Carerra and their prolific striker, Fabrizio Ravanelli, who will both miss the second leg in Turin.

After the tentative initial exchanges, Real went ahead with only their second shot on goal in the 21st minute when Michael Laudrup broke down the left flank and cantered into the Juventus area with the assurance of a colt. The former Juventus player then squared the ball to the advancing Raul, who neatly delivered his shot past a helpless Angelo Peruzzi. It was the Madrid-born teenager's sixth goal in the competition.

Laudrup combined well with the substitute, Quique, down the wings as the Spaniards asserted their hold on the match after the break. However, Juventus recovered their poise after the Real Madrid coach, Arsenio Iglesias, inexplicably replaced the Danish international with Michel in the 65th minute.

That move changed the nature of the game as Real, so assertive in attack before then, lost their driving force. Raul, particularly, felt his loss and drifted out of the game. The Chilean striker Ivan Zamorano, however, was a picture of industry for Real and the excellent Fernando Redondo came close with an inventive free-kick.

Ravanelli and Antonio Conte squandered easy chances for Juventus during a second half of enthralling play.

Real Madrid: Buyo; Chendo, Garcia Calvo, Alkorta, Redondo, Hierro, Raul, Soler (Quiqe, 27), Zamorano, Laudrup (Michel, 65), Luis Enrique.

Juventus: Peruzzi; Ferrara, Torricelli, Carrera (Ressotto, 76), Vierchowod, Sousa (Jugovic, 64), Lombardo, Conte, Ravanelli, Del Piero, Deschamps.