Real wary of Spurs, keen for Barca test

Real Madrid club secretary Miguel Pardeza is well aware of the threat Tottenham could pose to his side in the Champions League quarter-finals.

In the quarter-final and semi-final draw for Europe’s most prestigious club football competition on Friday, Real were paired with a side who is making their first ever appearance in the Champions League.

But Tottenham will be no pushovers and outlined their quality with a victory over two legs against Serie A table-toppers AC Milan, meaning the Madrid giants cannot take their opponents lightly.

“It’s a team who has eliminated Milan, so it’s a difficult rival,” Pardeza said.

“They are in the top places of the Premier League and I think it’s a very well managed team. In the last few years they have signed up some very good players.”

“They have good full-backs, such as (Vedran) Corluka and (Gareth) Bale, who is in outstanding shape this season, and an old Real Madrid player that we know well like (Rafael) Van der Vaart.”

Pardeza also mentioned that he would have preferred his side to play away first in order to finish the tie at the Santiago Bernabeu.

If Real progress and bitter La Liga rivals Barcelona defeat Shakhtar Donetsk, the pair will meet in the semi-final, making for four meetings in 15 days between the two sides.

With the Copa Del Rey final and a La Liga fixture already scheduled, a two-legged clash would heap pressure on the Real players, according to Pardeza, but would also be special.

“That would be a moment for history, don’t you think?” he said.

“(If) Real Madrid and Barcelona have to play each other four times … we can’t forget that we’ll face them in La Liga and in the Copa del Rey final match in such a tight schedule.”

“It will take a huge effort for the players to be ready for this challenge because it will be really difficult to play so many times against such an important rival as Barcelona is.”

“If only the two La Liga matches move so many passions and demand such a big effort, you can imagine … four and practically in a row will be historic, won’t it?”