10 April 2018
MASSIMILIANO ALLEGRI
NOT OVER YET
“First of all, our duty tomorrow is to cancel out the 3-0 scoreline, which was a harsh result for us, but we have to accept it. Tomorrow we must play a great match against what is an amazing team in an amazing stadium.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen, for example no one could have imagined that after three minutes we would be a goal down at home. The same thing could even happen here! The most important thing is that we play with strength and determination, so we can come away with our heads held high. How we play tomorrow can motivate us for the rest of the season, as we still have Serie A and the TIM Cup to play for.”
MINDSET FOR MADRID TEST
“The team has trained well and we have to play tomorrow’s match without thinking about what we can and can’t do. We know that we have a slim chance of going through, but we have to do everything we can to try and make it happen and we will also need a bit of luck on the night.
“Zidane has a lot of experience so I know that Real Madrid are going to be focused, but we have to think about what we are going to do and not about them. We need to be stronger in defence tomorrow, that is something we have lacked at times these past few months. The game isn’t going to be resolved in 20 minutes or so. We will have to be patient and see what happens throughout the match.
“Higuain will start up top tomorrow night alongside two from Mandzukic, Cuadrado and Douglas Costa.”
GIANLUIGI BUFFON
TENACITY, DIGNITY, DUTY “I would say that our mindset going into the match will be the same as always. We want to be balanced, tenacious with a strong mindset and desire to achieve the best possible result.
“We’re about to face a very important team, while we too are representing a very important team. We will play with the utmost dignity and put our best foot forward to get a result. That’s the duty of everyone wearing our colours and my goal for the whole team tomorrow.” “AIMING TO ACHIEVE THE IMPOSSIBLE”
“Will this be my last match for Juventus? Obviously there’s the possibility, but it’s a possibility that would lead me to negative thoughts. I wouldn’t have minded when I was a kid to know that my last Champions League match would be at the Bernabéu against Real Madrid. You’ve always got to look at the positive side of things. “In life it’s necessary to try and achieve what seems impossible. That’s an important motivation for all of us and by trying to achieve the impossible you can make it possible. If we try to do that tomorrow, we will leave with a good feeling no matter what. We need to play with this type of attitude, because it’s a very good opponent. Obviously if we achieve a miracle tomorrow, we will all be very happy, but to be able to achieve that dream we have many steps to take.” BERNABEU CROWD
“Life has taught me never to wait for anything and if something beautiful happens tomorrow [from the home fans] that would be wonderful but I’m not expecting it. Every time I’ve played at the Bernabéu, whether it was with Juventus or the national team, the fans have always been very good with us and expressed great sportsmanship. They’ve welcomed us in a positive way that I always appreciate but it’s not as if I expect it.”
