Turin, Feb 16 (LaPresse) – “When you play over two legs like in this playoff, both matches are important and the second carries with it what happened in the first 90 minutes: these are not challenges where you can hide, every hesitation will be an advantage taken by the opponents, especially in stadiums and contexts like this.” Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti said this in a press conference on the eve of the first leg of the Champions League playoff against Galatasaray. “I really liked the attitude the team had in Milan: I told the lads that I am proud of them and I wouldn’t trade them for anyone,” he explained. “We have to be good at not suffering the first waves of aggression from Galatasaray, at getting through them and playing our football. Through possession we have to try to play the match we want, we know that will be the key to aiming for success,” he added. “We don’t bring in here what happened in the previous match, but what we are going to do: it’s better to clear our minds and get back on the pitch with the right enthusiasm and the happiness of facing great opponents. This is a match that everyone rightly feels, the lads are doing well and the group is at its best in front of a context like this: there’s no need to raise the bar, but to show that we are up to these games,” the Bianconeri coach continued. “These challenges can be a turning point for anyone, we trained yesterday and until tomorrow evening I won’t see the players in action: we have to assess Thuram’s condition, but also that of other players.”
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