10 May 2015
Stephan Lichtsteiner says Juventus will approach Wednesday’s Champions League return leg against Real Madrid with confidence but warns the fine margin between winning and losing at the semi-final stage means their preparations will have to be spot on.
Bolstered by a 2-1 advantage from the first leg, the Bianconeri travel to the Santiago Bernabeu looking to wrap up a spot in the competition’s final for the first time in 12 years.
But with last year’s reigning European champions to tackle in front of an 80,000 capacity crowd in the Spanish capital, Lichtsteiner appreciates a perfect display will be required if Juventus are to take their dream to the final hurdle in Berlin.
Speaking to Jtv, the Swiss defender began: “At this stage of the competition it all boils down to the details - there’s a fine line between winning and losing.
“We’ve improved with every game we’ve played and conceded very few goals. They have great quality in every department, it’s not just about Ronaldo. We need to prepare well for the game but we think we can pull it off.
“We put in a great performance during the first leg, unfortunately there’s also a return match to be played and it will be a really difficult one for us. We’ll need to put in a brilliant display and we’re ready for it.”
When quizzed on the team’s league campaign, Lichtsteiner spoke of the “pride” felt by all of the players after pulling off a “fantastic” feat, especially in light of the managerial overhaul that took place in the summer.
“Winning the league was our aim and the fact we’ve managed to do so fills us with pride. The change of coach in the summer was a difficult moment for us, but we knew that Allegri was an experienced coach and a winner so we were confident. We’ve enjoyed an important campaign and achieving a fourth consecutive Scudetto is fantastic.”
