Bianconeri defensive duo Martin Caceres and Federico Peluso spoke of their delight after reliving Tuesday’s memorable Champions League triumph over Celtic in an exclusive interview with Sky Sport Italia.
On an emotionally charged night at Parkhead, both players weighed in with fundamental contributions as the Bianconeri weathered an intense Celtic second half storm to emerge with a 3-0 success.
Caceres drew comparisons with fellow countryman and fans’ favourite Paolo Montero for his defensive resilience in the midst of a heated physical battle, while Peluso, deployed in a more advanced role on the left-hand side of midfield, provided a perfectly pitched pass for Alessandro Matri to open the scoring with the game just four minutes old.
But despite Juventus finding themselves odds on to progress through to the quarter-final stages of the competition, both players warned against complacency when Celtic travel to Turin for March’s decisive return leg.
“We won 3-0 and it’s an excellent result,” said Caceres. “But we need to also maintain the right level of concentration in the return leg. We’ve embarked on a long journey and we’re tackling every game with great concentration.
“Our first objective is clearly to regain our Scudetto crown, but we’ll think about the Champions League, even though we know it will be very difficult to go all the way.”
“The win against Celtic gives us further motivation,” added Peluso. “We sweated and worked well to prepare for the game and our hard graft was repaid.
“But Champions League history tells us that there have been finals in which the first half has finished 3-0 and the opposition have battled back after the break. We still haven’t achieved anything.”
The 29-year-old Italian international, whose selection in Antonio Conte’s starting line-up represented his first ever European appearance, acquitted himself well in challenging conditions at Celtic Park.
“It was exciting, above all for the atmosphere in the stadium. When the Champions League music started playing and was drowned out by the roar of the crowd it was amazing. I’d never played in that kind of game and I’m happy to have had the opportunity to do so.”
Peluso’s assertive display in Scotland earned scores of positive reviews from the world’s media. And the defender was quick to pay tribute to the impact of his team-mates in helping him settle into his new reality following a January move from Atalanta.
“We’ve got the mentality of a provincial side, in the sense that everyone gives their all on a daily basis. I’ve been surprised by the calm nature of the environment and a group that has immediately made me feel at ease. I think these are the secrets behind this team’s success.”
After touching down in the early hours of Wednesday morning, Juventus immediately turned their attentions to Saturday night’s showdown with Roma at the Stadio Olimpico, a game which coincides with the home managerial debut of recent Giallorossi appointment Aurelio Andreazzoli.
Looking ahead to the encounter, Caceres concluded: “Roma are a great team. They’ve recently changed their manager and this usually produces greater desire and ruthlessness. However, we’ll play to win even at their place.”
Source: Juventus.com
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