Dinamo’s Petev and Situm preview Juventus clash

Dinamo Zagreb coach Ivaylo Petev has called on his team to give the best possible account of themselves at Juventus Stadium tomorrow night as the Croatian champions go in search of their first Champions League points and goals of the campaign.

Petev, manager of Group H’s bottom club since the end of September, believes that while their prestigious hosts are undoubtedly the favourites in Turin, his side’s improvement in recent months may be enough to see them push the Bianconeri hard on Wednesday night.

The Bulgarian, joined by forward Mario Situm, had this to say of his team’s chances:

Ivalyo Petev

“I’m confident that we will be ready to give our all tomorrow night. This game is a great opportunity for us to show what we can do and prove to ourselves that we belong at this level.

“Most of all, I’m looking for my team to use this encounter as a test of what we can achieve as a group. We haven’t been able to collect any points in the group so far but our goal on Wednesday is to demonstrate that we have improved since our defeat against Juve in September.

“As for whether it is more beneficial for Juve to win the group or qualify as a runner-up, for me, finishing second is never an option.”

Mario Situm 

“This game means a lot to us. It’s a dream to play at this level against a quality side like Juventus. We’ve come here to do our supporters proud, honour the Dinamo jersey and give a good account of ourselves.

“We all know where Juve stand in European football relative to us and without a doubt this is one of the most important games of the season for us. All we can do is focus on getting a result, relax and make sure we enjoy the experience.

"Just under a year ago I was playing in Serie B and now I am here getting ready to face Juventus in the Champions League. It’s a great feeling and I’m aware of how important this fixture is both for me and for the team.

“Having played with him here at Dinamo, I can say that I know Marko Pjaca very well. He’s very talented and has what it takes to become a truly great striker.”