Massimo Carrera is confident the Bianconeri have what it takes to progress in this season’s Champions League after witnessing a strong reaction to Shakhtar taking the lead at Juventus Stadium.
Leonardo Bonucci’s goal levelled affairs after an uneasy opening period, and the first-team coach was satisfied with the attitude displayed by the hosts.
Addressing the media, Carrera said: “We were a little tentative at the start, but we knew that Shakhtar were a tough team to face. We conceded, but then managed to immediately get back on level terms and proved a match for them after that.”
The 48-year-old explained the reasons behind his decision to freshen up the forward line after the break.
“We changed both strikers in the second half, but unlocking Shakhtar’s defence proved to be a tough task. We withdrew Vucinic because we required a striker to mark Fernandinho, who drove his team forward.”
Carrera also believes the heavy fixture schedule began to take its toll towards the end of tonight’s encounter.
“Tiredness was also a factor, given the sheer amount of games played recently. We’ve got less time to work, which is a problem compared to last year and today we lacked our usual fluency. There are strong teams in the Champions League and at least two in our group. We’ll do our best and will give it a good go right until the end.”
Source: Juventus.com
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