Juventus manager Max Allegri admits today’s match against Nantes is like a final for his team.
The Bianconeri manager is under pressure to stabilise his inconsistent side and end this season well.
Their form in Europe this term has been dismal and they missed the chance to take a first leg lead to France.
However, after the abolishing of away goals, the tie is finely poised at 1-1, but Juve must do better to win in France.
The Juve gaffer has no doubt about the importance of the game and admits they see it as a Europa League final.
He said via Football Italia:
“We need to go through because in the last three years we went out in the Champions League Round of 16.
“I see tomorrow as a Final, a one-off, because away goals no longer count double. We will play it on their turf and fight it out on level terms for passage to the next phase. It’s 50-50 for qualification.
“It won’t be easy, as Nantes have some good players like Blas, who is left-footed, and the strikers tend to track back to help the defence. They are dangerous on the counter-attack.
“Winning away from home in Europe is never easy. We know the atmosphere we’ll face at the start of the game and we must shake it off. We must prepare for 90 minutes and hope that will be enough, that is our objective.”
Juve FC Says
This is the mindset all our players must have in the game and there will be no bigger occasion where we need them to perform than this game.
This fixture is so important to how we will end this season and it could be the beginning of the end of Allegri as the club’s boss if we lose the match.
