Claudio Marchisio has defended Juventus’” data-scaytid=”2″>Juventus’ record in Europe, insisting the Old Lady only need to improve in getting the result their play deserves.
Juve face a crucial match with OIympiacos at Juventus Stadium tomorrow night, having lost their last two Champions League ties to Atletico Madrid and the Greeks.
Their versatile midfielder believes the Scudetto winners have what it takes to progress.
Claudio Marchisio has defended Juventus’ record in Europe, insisting the Old Lady only need to improve in getting the result their play deserves.
Juve face a crucial match with OIympiacos at Juventus Stadium tomorrow night, having lost their last two Champions League ties to Atletico Madrid and the Greeks.
Their versatile midfielder believes the Scudetto winners have what it takes to progress.
“It all depends on tomorrow’s game,” Marchisio told a Press conference ahead of the game.
“It’s the first crucial game of our season and we face an opponent who will not be easy to beat.
“They beat us in their stadium, as they did Atletico Madrid, but tomorrow we are at Juventus Stadium, we know that having our fans behind us will give us a big boost and we have to continue as we have been.
“We have the second best defence in Europe, and when you consider the few players we have available in defence, they are playing every game they are doing a great job.
“The plaudits shouldn’t go only to the defence though, as the whole team has worked well.
“Look at games like the one in Madrid, where unlike you in the Italian Press, who immediately sought to knock us down as a team which struggles in Europe, the Spanish Press gave Juventus a lot of compliments for the game we played.
“It’s been a while since they’ve seen an Italian team in Spain be competitive for 90 minutes, even in the games against Real Madrid [last season], we caused them a lot of problems but didn’t get the result.
“Maybe that’s what we need to improve. As the Coach [Allegri] said [after the Genoa defeat] there are some games where, if you can’t win, you have to get at least a draw.
“In the Champions League in particular that can make a real difference in getting to the next round.”
The Italy international also spoke about the reasons for the Bianconeri’s perceived struggles on the continent.
“It’s not just different for Juve, but for all the Italian teams. For Italian football.
“We’ve seen in recent years that the biggest difference for the big teams in Italy is that in Europe you face opponents who are much more prepared to take teams on, use the ball and play football.
“In Italy, nine-times-out-of-10 we face teams that change their style of play against the big teams and camp out in their own half and try to defend with 10 men behind the ball.
“This was indubitably the biggest difference, but in recent years… the first year we got out of the group and achieved a very important goal.
“Last year it’s true we went out in the group stage, but the team continued in the Europa League and to play in a semi-final was very important. There has been a growing process.
“Now we come into this challenge [with Olympiacos] ready for what is the first crucial game of the season.”