Following the recent crowning as ‘Winter Champions’, now Juventus must address encounters with sides whose positions are in the high part of the table. The first big match will occur against Udinese, who are in third place and just three points behind.
The first important clash of the second round. The first out of 19 tests which will see Antonio Conte’s men involved. The Bianconeri’s manager didn’t hide the importance of this encounter against Guidolin’s side: “This match has a double value, six points instead of three. We need to understand this aspect and play with aggressive competitiveness. Udinese are no longer a surprise in the Italian championship. They’ve remained in the high part of the table for many years, and always battle to achieve positive outcomes. How do we prepare ourselves for this game? Unfortunately, we’re experiencing an unlucky period as far as injuries are concerned, some players aren’t in shape. We’ve one more training session, tomorrow we’ll assess all players’ condition in order to have on the pitch those who can ensure the best performance.”
The big match against Udinese will come at the end of a very positive week, following the win in Bergamo and the 3-0 result achieved against Roma for the TIM Cup competition. A very though period, which will be quite long. “Tomorrow we’ll play Udinese. On Tuesday we’ll face Parma. Then Siena and around the 8 February we’ll travel to San Siro for the Coppa Italia match against Milan. We’ll play a lot, thus making some tests for the next year, hoping to have this kind of busy weeks. Perhaps those who say that we aren’t involved too much, we’ll change their minds. This period is very important and all players will have their chance to get involved. I want more responses, exactly as it happened so far.”
Several fixtures are scheduled, and all lads will be fundamental. Conte underlined this aspect and, during the press conference, he mentioned two players who could give an important contribution. One was recently under the spotlights and the other has just come back to Turin: Luca Marrone and Martin Caceres. “Since the very beginning of the season, I’ve thought that Marrone was extraordinary. He played very well at Siena, where I was struck by his attitude in a team which was obliged to win. We all trust in him, he represents Juventus’ present and future. He’ll only need to keep his feet on the ground, but he’s always behaved in this way. Moreover, he must continue to work hard without complaints. Now, a difficult moment is approaching: he must confirm himself. On the other hand, I’ve met and welcomed Caceres. We only had five defenders, a new signing was necessary. We’ve found a player who can adapt himself to different positions, but also a lad who already knew Juventus. Therefore he’ll need a shorter time to get familiar with the group. He’s come here with the right attitude, being absolutely aware that he’s joined the Italian side with the best defense.”
Source: Juventus.com
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