Ancelotti keeps faith in Iker for key Champions League semi

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti gave a strong defense of his side's goalkeeper, Iker Casillas ahead of Wednesday's vital Champions League semi-final second leg in which Real Madrid have to overturn a 2-1 deficit at home to Italian Champions, Juventus.

The game comes just five days after Real virtually said goodbye to their domestic title hopes after a 2-2 draw at home to Valencia, during which a sector of the fans booed goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

"Ever coach feels it when one of their players gets booed," said Ancelotti, who said the criticism would not affect Casillas, rather "it will motivate him."

"The team is concentrated and we want to play a great semi- final and to play the final. It is a vital moment we are in because we could enter in the history of the competition," he said, in reference to the fact no club has defended their Champions League title, and nobody is close to Real's record of 10 titles.

"We will do everything we can to win," assured the Madrid coach, who also confirmed that Karim Benzema was available again after struggling for a month with a knee injury.

"He could start or come into the game later," he said, explaining his dilemma between the French striker and Javier Hernandez, saying that Hernandez helped to fix the position of the rival defense, while Benzema "makes the team play better."

Finally with the tie hanging on a knife-edge Ancelotti highlighted the importance of his players keeping their concentration through the entire 90 minutes of what will be a tense night in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Endite