Xabi Alonso, coach of Europe’s most successful club, isn’t taking the struggling Italian side lightly.
Juventus is going through a rough patch on the field, having gone over a month without a win in any competition. According to Alonso, this “hungry” Italian club could be even more dangerous now.
Real Madrid will face Juventus at their home ground on Wednesday in the Champions League.
Madrid has been in excellent form this season, winning eight of nine La Liga matches and sitting at the top of the table. In Europe’s premier competition, they have also won both of their matches, placing them second in their group.
Juventus, meanwhile, have been searching for a win for a long time. Their last victory came at the start of September in Serie A, defeating Inter Milan 4-3. Since then, they have played four league matches, drawing three and losing one. With three wins and three draws from seven matches, they sit seventh in Serie A with 12 points.
In the Champions League, Juventus drew 4-4 with Borussia Dortmund and 2-2 with Villarreal. With just two points from two games, they are 23rd in the competition standings.
However, Juventus’ record against Real Madrid isn’t entirely bad. In nine Champions League meetings, they have won three, lost ten, and drawn two. Their last encounter was in the 2017-18 season, where they lost 3-0 in the first leg of the quarterfinals but won 3-1 in the second leg.
Referring to these stats at the pre-match press conference, Alonso emphasized that there is no room for underestimating Juventus.
“We are cautious about tomorrow’s opponent, Juventus. Any Italian team in a difficult situation can be dangerous. History cannot be ignored. They are a big club, as they always have been, and still are. They have several very good players,” he said.
“This is a European classic. Both teams have faced each other many times, and I’ve played in some of these matches myself. We want to secure our third win in the Champions League and start strongly.”
After a run of five consecutive draws across all competitions, Juventus suffered their first loss of the season last Sunday, falling 2-0 to Como. As they look to bounce back, this may be their toughest test yet.
