Alessio Tacchinardi previews Porto-Juventus in an exclusive interview with Football Italia and explains why Matthijs de Ligt can be a key player in this evening’s fixture.

The former midfielder spent 11 seasons at Juventus winning 13 trophies, including one Champions League.

“I know this competition too well. From today a new tournament begins,” he says in an exclusive interview with Football Italia.

Alessio Tacchinardi previews Porto-Juventus in an exclusive interview with Football Italia and explains why Matthijs de Ligt can be a key player in this evening’s fixture.

The former midfielder spent 11 seasons at Juventus winning 13 trophies, including one Champions League.

“I know this competition too well. From today a new tournament begins,” he says in an exclusive interview with Football Italia.

“Everything must be perfect to win it. Injuries to key players and episodes can change everything. It’s a terrific competition. Think about Atalanta last season, they came so close to eliminating PSG and we all know how it went.

“Lifting the cup is like winning the lottery. It’s better to have a bad group stage and be in shape now, it’s crucial to be at the best right now, it’s a very complicated competition, every game will be though from now on.

What game do you expect from Juventus this evening?
“These games are played over 180 minutes and Juventus have everything to lose, they must be very careful, it will be crucial to score a goal away and [Juan] Cuadrado’s absence is a blow for them, he’s been a key player so far.”

We’ve seen two different versions of Juventus so far, one that press higher on the pitch, and another one that sit deep, which one do you expect to see against Porto?
“Interesting question, I think we’ll witness a similar side to the one that won in Barcelona. I expect a different Juve from the one that lost at Napoli, more aggressive and determined. The second half at the Maradona was good, but I expect something different, a team willing to press high on the pitch rather than sit deep. They need balance, a good mix between what we saw and the beginning of the season and the latest displays. Surely, Juan Cuadrado’s absence is bad for them.”

Leonardo Bonucci will sit out the match, so Matthijs de Ligt and Giorgio Chiellini will start at the back. Is the Dutchman the right man to help Juve press high?
“For sure, he is a player who can defend leaving 20-30 meters behind him. Chiellini not quite, he prefers to sit deep. Bonucci is injured, but De Ligt was named the best player in the Champions League two years ago. He is a strong player, he played very well with [Merih] Demiral too, he is a top defender.”

You played along with Edgar Davids who has been compared with Weston McKennie, do you see any similarities?
“Not really, Davids was very strong defensively, McKennie likes to run into open spaces. He has an attacking mentality, maybe he is more similar to [Antonio] Conte. Davids was more explosive, more defensive, he was a leader, but McKennie is still young and has room for improvement.”

Talking about Conte, what do you make of his clash with Andrea Agnelli?
“I’m sorry for what happened, they are friends and it was a pity to see such scene. I hope they’ll fix their relationship even if I think it’s hard. I respect both of them and I am sorry for what happened.”

Why are Juventus far from Inter in the Serie A table? What are they lacking?
“There are many reasons, they lost for a dubious episode in Naples, even if they didn’t play well in the first half. However, I think they are improving. The defeat in Naples was a misstep, but the performance in the second half was good. If they had picked up a draw it would have been different.

“They’re paying a high price for a slow start. They didn’t know each other too well, Pirlo was only at the beginning. It’s too early to draw up a balance, the start wasn’t a positive one, but today they are improving. There is still time to recover even if Inter can leave their mark on the league on Sunday.”

Are you seeing a different Antonio Conte?
“At the beginning of the season he didn’t seem the same Antonio, from Udine I saw the Conte I know and this Conte can be a key factor for Inter. I repeat it’s too early to make predictions. It’s true that they only have the title race left and this can be helpful for a coach like him who works hard all week long. Conte is an important coach, but Inter have been eliminated from Champions League and Coppa Italia. Sunday it’s an important day for them, but it’s still too early to say predict the title winner.”

Does he feel the pressure to win the Scudetto?
“He lives for that, he lives for that pressure. Some coaches are consumed by pressure, while Conte needs it. If he hadn’t had that pressure he’d get bored. He’s been up there as a coach and as a player, he knows how to handle it. I don’t think it’s a problem for him.”

Name the top four in Serie A this season, not who’s winning, only the top four.
“Inter, Juve, Milan and Roma.”

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