Manager Thiago Motta made surprising lineup choices for Juventus’ Champions League opener as they play against PSV Eindhoven, and he has explained his reason as he hoped that his side will dominate the game.
The game will be played around 17:45 UK time (16:45 GMT) at the Allianz Juventus Stadium in Turin. Fans can no longer wait for the match to commence as the team returns to Europe’s most prestigious tournament following a lengthy absence.
Juventus has been knocked out of the tournament, UEFA competitions, for 684 days after they did not feature in last season’s tournaments because of financial irregularities. The situation affected their participation in Europe and led to the deduction of a point in Serie A.
Motta is on the verge of re-establishing Juventus as a dominant force with a fresh start in the Champions League.
Motta’s choices for the lineup have caused conversation, but he is still confident in his strategy as Juventus aims to make a strong statement on their return to European games.
“It’s a great atmosphere, a football atmosphere that we want to live to the fullest. We must be concentrated, focused, we are against a team that likes to play football and so do we, so we have to turn it in our favour,” Thiago Motta told Sky Sport Italia.
“In Europe you take on teams like PSV and they are able to dominate their opponents in the Eredivisie, so we will try to do the same here.”
