Andre Villas-Boas believes Juventus can come back against Tottenham Hotspur, not least because “there’s no atmosphere” at Wembley.
The Bianconeri blew a 2-0 lead in the first leg of their Champions League Last 16 tie, so head to London at a disadvantage next week.
“Juve have more experience and players who are used to playing these kind matches,” Villas-Boas, a former Spurs manager, told Corriere dello Sport.
Andre Villas-Boas believes Juventus can come back against Tottenham Hotspur, not least because “there’s no atmosphere” at Wembley.
The Bianconeri blew a 2-0 lead in the first leg of their Champions League Last 16 tie, so head to London at a disadvantage next week.
“Juve have more experience and players who are used to playing these kind matches,” Villas-Boas, a former Spurs manager, told Corriere dello Sport.
“Now though they have to win or draw 3-3. It’s not an impossible task which awaits them, but nor is it easy because Tottenham are doing well, they play a physical game and can cause anyone problems.
“In Turin, Juventus struggled to limit the possession of the ball enjoyed by the English side, with long stretches of the match played in the opposition half.
“At home they generally suffer sen less than away, but Wembley is an excellent stadium to try and pull off a feat because there’s no atmosphere, it’s difficult for the fans to put pressure on.
“It’s not impossible for Juventus, but Tottenham are organised and if they manage to use the ball like they did in Turin…”
Spurs’ danger man is Harry Kane, and the Portuguese was also asked about his former striker.
“He was very young then, and he wasn’t my first choice because I had [Roberto] Soldado and [Emanuel] Adebayor.
“With the directors we agreed it would be best if he went out on loan and played but instead he stayed, so I gave him some chances in the Europa League.
“I don’t have any credit for his explosion though, the one who really gave him space was my successor, Tim Sherwood.
“Real Madrid? It’s up to him. It depends what he wants to do and what his ambitions for his career are.
“If he’s a fan of trophies and fame then maybe it would be better to leave Tottenham, but if he prefers stability and the adulation of the fans then the speech is different.
“One or two more years at Spurs would be useful to improve further.”
Returning to Juve, Villas-Boas was asked if he believes the Old Lady can win the Champions League this season.
“Barcelona seem stronger on paper, even if they’ve lost Neymar,” the former Chelsea manager said.
“[Ousmane] Dembélé is back, then there’s [Lionel] Messi, Suarez and the super-reliable Paulinho.
“They have the right squad to win the cup, even if Bayern are very strong and Real [Madrid], if they knock out Paris Saint-Germain, can say it’s theirs.
“The Scudetto? Napoli play great football and [Coach Maurizio] Sarri is very good, I saw the game they lost at home to Leipzig and I couldn’t believe it.
“If the return leg had been 10 minutes longer though they’d have gone through, because with [Lorenzo] Insigne, [Dries] Mertens and [Jose] Callejon up-front they can hurt anyone.
“The Italian League is more open and balanced than in the past, but in my opinion it won’t be easy for Napoli.
“In China with Shanghai [Shenhua] I had to take the title from Guangzhou Evergrande who had won it for many years, but in the end their experience and habit of winning decisive matches counted.
“The same thing could happen in Serie A in April, and for that reason I see Juventus as favourites.”
Villas-Boas was Jose Mourinho’s assistant at Inter, so naturally he was asked about this weekend’s derby.
“I saw the game they won against Benevento, and I noticed that the players are worried, anxious and struggling to express themselves at their best.
“I hope they can win the derby, because I remain tied to Inter and the experience I had with the Nerazzurri. I haven’t been back to Milan for two years, but I still have my friends and my restaurants.
“A return to Italy? Let’s just say I’ve been close to a few Italian clubs and I’ve had a couple of meetings with their directors.
“Of course I’d like a future in Italy. The benches of the big European clubs are usually decided between March and April and I am open to an important project in Italy, Spain, England or Germany.
“We’ll see what happens.”