The Big Dream begins again. The capital letters are anything but random and best represent all Juventus' desire for the Champions League. Sevilla will be the first obstacle towards that coveted cup, especially where they are used to winning in Italy but much less in Europe. Never like this year, however, ambitions seem to be accompanied by potential: the stratospheric market that brought Higuain, Pjanic, Benatia, Dani Alves and Pjaca raises the Lady to the highest level and allows her to start on an equal footing with everyone.
“A club like this always starts to win but it doesn't make sense to look that far – explained Massimiliano Allegri. – First we have to get through the group, then another cup will start in March and we'll see what happens. Only the results count but I am convinced that we will play our chances to the end”.
The Juventus coach is well aware that the pressure could create far more problems than Sevilla, Lyon and Dinamo Zagreb, which is why, as a great manager of men, he tries to throw water on the fire. However, this cup is in the minds of the whole Juve world, just as Gigi Buffon admitted at the press conference.
“The Champions League has been missing for 21 years, just when I started playing – the thought of the Juventus captain. – Last year we were already very competitive and this year we have improved further. We have enthusiasm and desire even if we know we are not the favourites”.
In fact Barcelona and Bayern Munich (yesterday victorious with a 7-0 and a 5-0) are scary, as are the reigning champions Real Madrid, but Juve also want to make their way towards the final in Cardiff. To do it in the best way, he will have to start strong right away, therefore starting from tonight against Sevilla. A very different team will arrive in Turin compared to Emery's: now Sampaoli is in charge, one who, like his Spanish predecessor, knows how to face (and win) cups.
“Juve are at the level of the big names in Europe but we will try to have our say – the words of the Argentine. – If we were able to get a result, we would gain the awareness of having grown up and being able to play it for the next round”.
Allegri knows well that there are many pitfalls, that's why he will rely on the 3-5-2 of the "star players": Buffon in goal, Barzagli, Bonucci and Chiellini in defense, Dani Alves, Khedira, Lemina, Pjanic and Evra in midfield, Dybala and Higuain in attack. Sampaoli will respond with a 4-2-3-1 with Sergio Rico in goal, Mariano, Rami, Mercado and Escudero in the back, N'Zonzi and Kranevitter in the midfield, Kiyotake, Vazquez and Vitolo in the trocar behind the lone striker Vietto.
For a Juve that is starting its adventure in the Champions League, there is a Napoli that has already done it, and in a big way too. The Azzurri emerged victorious from the Olimpico in Kiev with a 2-1 that earned gold in terms of qualifying. The simultaneous 1-1 draw between Benfica and Besiktas projects them at the top of the group and this with two home games to face in the coming weeks.
In short, all's well that ends well but woe to think it was a walk in the park. Napoli, as was to be expected, suffered a bit from the excitement of the first in the Champions League and took a big risk against Rebrov's team, at least at the beginning of the match. And indeed in the 26th minute the Ukrainians took the lead through Gamash, who was good at killing Reina with a nice turn and giving him the 1-0 lead. But then the most awaited man took the chair, that Milik who Sarri, once again, preferred to Gabbiadini.
The Pole turned the game around with the house specialty: the header. First in the 36', then in the 47', the decisive "heads" arrived (with the complicity of the home defence) to put things right and give Napoli 3 decisive points, which were then managed with relative serenity in the second half (Dinamo also remained in 10 due to the expulsion of Sydorchuk).
“We won but didn't play very well – commented Sarri. – Many of my players ended up paying for the emotion and didn't play free heads, in any case we managed to get 3 very important points in a balanced group. We can do better but we are happy with the result”.
