Despite beating PSV Eindhoven earlier in the competition, Juventus head coach Thiago Motta believes a different battle awaits as both sides aim for a place in the last 16.
The Old Lady began the new league phase with a 3-1 win over the opponents in September but they finished 20th and they face the Dutch club who ended 14th, as they defeated Liverpool in the final game.
“We played a good game against PSV at that point but a lot of things have changed, both here and there,” Motta said to reporters ahead of Tuesday’s first leg in Turin.
“Tomorrow is a different story. Tomorrow is a different game and we’re focused on doing our job well. We saw in the first leg that we had some very good moments in the game. We took advantage of that and finished the actions we’d set up well.
“But at the same time, we suffered from their passing and possession. The arrival of the two full-backs, who came in very well from behind. The midfielders who can give the team a bit more balance but also give the team a lot of space.”
Juventus suffered their first loss in Serie A in January, losing to Napoli, and then lost to Benfica in the Champions League, and despite winning their two most recent games, they seemed the lacklustre side on Friday at Como despite the 2-1 triumph.
“We saw in the last match, even if it is not a good example, the resilience of this group has increased a lot,” Motta added.1
“We were able to win a game without playing well. But that’s no use at all. As an example, yes, it’s a positive point. You manage to win a game where you don’t play better than your opponent. It’s a positive point, but we know that’s not the way.
“Tomorrow we need to play a different type of game, a very complete game to compete against a strong team and get the win.”
