30 November 2016
There will be just one objective on the minds of Sami Khedira and co. when the Bianconeri face Atalanta this weekend at Juventus Stadium: making an immediate return to winning ways.
For Khedira, speaking to the Sky cameras this afternoon after training, Saturday's match will present Juve with the chance to go one better and "prove just how good a side (they) are."
Reflecting on a humbling defeat to Genoa and the measures taken in Vinovo in the past few days to right the Marassi wrongs while looking ahead to the visit of Serie A's form team, the German's key quotes are as follows:
Learning from mistakes
"Everyone knows that we should have played much better in the first 30 minutes against Genoa. We've made a point of studying that period of the game since and we've started the new week well out on the training ground. Our focus is to get back to winning ways.
"All three of the games we have lost this season were more a result of good performances from the opposition than anything to do with them coming after the Champions League. We played reasonably well in the two defeats to the Milan clubs but Sunday was clearly different."
Returning to winning ways
"It is normal for games like that to crop up during the season and when they do, they serve as a reminder that we must continue to work even harder to keep improving. We were all disappointed to hear the extent of the injuries to Dani Alves and Bonucci but we're pleased to have Dybala back with us. Paulo is a key player for us but those that have stepped in, like Mandzukic, have done a brilliant job."
Approach is everything
"The way you approach games, more so than who is or isn't available, is crucial and at times you need to change that depending on who you are facing so as not to become predictable to play against: football is football and systems and formation can only take you so far.
"Although churning out victories in a functional way is a great quality to have, being able to do so in style is a step we are all very keen to make. Our squad is very strong tactically and we have a coach who knows how to make the most of it."
Aware of Atalanta threat
"Atalanta are a tough unit; they are difficult to beat, work hard for the full 90 minutes and have an excellent mentality. They have the quality to emulate a team like Leicester but we've got ours on making even more history ourselves.
"Victory is our only consideration on Saturday and to do that, we'll need to compete from the first whistle to the last. Playing at home is a good advantage for us at the moment but we need to be prepared both mentally and physically for what is likely to be a testing encounter. We are an excellent team and we need to show it out on the field every match."
