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Crouch vows to silence Carvalho jibes

Real Madrid will have to cope with Peter Crouch's ability in the air © Getty Images

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Tottenham striker Peter Crouch is relishing the chance to silence Ricardo Carvalho's taunts when the pair come face to face in Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final first-leg at the Bernabeu, insisting "I've got the better of him before and hopefully will do again".

Real Madrid defender Carvalho has made it known he 'enjoyed' pitting his wits against Crouch when he was at Chelsea, admitting he found it 'easier' handling a forward of his size and playing style.

When asked for a response to Carvalho's boast, Spurs' 6ft 7in striker promised the Portuguese centre-back a tough night in the Spanish capital. He said: "We'll see about that. I have a lot of respect for Carvalho and I've had some good, hard battles with him. But I've got the better of him before and hopefully will do again on Tuesday.

"I can remember coming out on top in a couple of semi-finals with Liverpool, one in the Champions League and one in the FA Cup, when we beat Chelsea both times. He is a tough defender, and this is a completely different game between different teams. But I'm looking forward to my first appearance at the Bernabeu, we're going there to get a positive result."

Spurs have seen their Premier League campaign stutter in recent weeks - they endured a third successive 0-0 draw at Wigan at the weekend but, although he accepts they will be the underdogs, Crouch is confident his side can continue their impressive run in Europe.

"Real will be favourites in the Bernabeu, but we've done very well in the Champions League and hopefully can continue in the same vein," he told the Daily Mail. "It's a tough task but we've already proved against top teams like Inter Milan and AC Milan that we can get the result we need.

"I've loved every minute of the Champions League. It's a competition that seems to bring out the best in me. I always seem to play well and score goals. That was the case at Liverpool, and it has been the same here. It is frustrating that we have drawn a blank in our past three games, but it just hasn't been a problem in Europe.

"We have scored a hell of a lot of goals against some of the best around. We find it better when those sort of teams attack us and make it more open, as opposed to the way some Premier League sides set up against us. It will be different on Tuesday. That should suit us more."

Carvalho, meanwhile, has revealed he expects to receive a note from manager Jose Mourinho outlining the strengths and weaknesses of Spurs' frontline.

"He gives us a piece of paper with the qualities of the player you are most likely to come up against, what he is most likely to do and the move he performs most," he said.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.