Andrea Pirlo has dismissed claims that Barcelona are in ‘crisis’ at present, with his Juventus side making the trip there in the Champions League today.
The Old Lady are hoping to clinch victory today, which could well seal ourselves top spot in the group, although winning by just one goal will not be enough.
Juve lost the reverse fixture by a 2-0 scoreline, and will need to win by more than one goal this evening, whilst scoring at least three goals in order to leapfrog Barca, and gain a supposed advantage in the draw for the next round.
Barcelona failed to win at the weekend despite coming up against lowly Cadiz, and there appears to be issues for the Catalan club, but our manager is ignoring such reports, whilst insisting that Juventus will not have things are own way at the Camp Nou.
“I don’t believe in the ‘crisis’ of Barcelona,” Pirlo said in his pre-match press conference (as translated by Juve’s official website). “They are a great team. We know we will have to suffer, but we are calm and aware of our mistakes in the first game.
“This match is especially important for our growth and self-esteem. Coming first is important, but what we put in on the pitch is even more important.
“Compared to the first game, we need to improve the non-possession phase and be closer to the midfield and defensive lines.
“In the derby we had a completely different attitude between the first and second half, winning all the duels. This is the attitude that is part of Juve’s DNA and must never be missing.”
The manager may be playing down our chances, but I can’t help but feel confident of getting the better of Barca this evening, but whether we can do enough to secure top spot is another story altogether.
Is this Barcelona still a side to be feared in this competition? Am I alone in feeling confident of a win tonight?
Patrick
