07 February 2016
Chasing three crucial points late in the game against a well-organised outfit away from home may have caused some teams to panic, but, in the words of Claudio Marchisio, the Bianconeri are built of stronger stuff and stayed confident in their ability to eventually break down Frosinone’s resistance at the Stadio Matusa on Sunday afternoon.
“Our strength lies in knowing that sooner or later a goal will come,” Marchisio told the Sky studio. “We had chances in the first and second halves, but the most important thing was to win to ensure that we remain hot on the heels of Napoli ahead of next Saturday.”
The fact that the Partenopei edged out Carpi to a 1-0 success on Sunday made three points in southern Lazio all the more important for Massimiliano Allegri’s men, who entertain Maurizio Sarri’s league leaders at the weekend, looking to steal a march over their title rivals, who currently enjoy a two-point advantage at the top of the Serie A table.
Previewing Saturday’s showdown at Juventus Stadium, Marchisio added: “We both enter the match in great form. They’re ahead of us at present and we lost our first head-to-head at the San Paolo earlier in the season, so it’s undoubtedly a very decisive match for us and one we can’t afford to lose.”
Coincidentally, Marchisio began his professional career a decade ago with a league match at home to Frosinone, shortly followed by a trip to Naples to face next weekend’s opponents.
Commenting on his time as a player to date, the 30-year-old admitted there had been few missing ingredients since emerging from the Bianconeri youth ranks all those years ago.
He concluded: “I remember that match against Napoli in 2006 very fondly. When looking back at my career, I’ve been fortunate to realise my greatest dream: that of becoming a professional footballer.
“If anything is missing at all, I’d say the Champions League: it’s an important trophy for the fans and also for us.”
