Giorgio Chiellini said experience made the difference as Juventus got the better of Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League.
The Bianconeri had seemed doomed after a 2-2 first leg draw and conceding Hon Seung-Min’s strike at Wembley, but Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala turned it around for a 2-1 victory, 4-3 on aggregate.
Giorgio Chiellini said experience made the difference as Juventus got the better of Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League.
The Bianconeri had seemed doomed after a 2-2 first leg draw and conceding Hon Seung-Min’s strike at Wembley, but Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala turned it around for a 2-1 victory, 4-3 on aggregate.
“It was a difficult match, but the match we expected to play. At the end of the first half, despite the many difficulties we clearly had and had predicted in advance, we knew that we were going to get chances and had to take them,” Chiellini told Mediaset Premium.
“We did well and OK, fortune favours the brave, so we earned our luck. We were a team from start to finish and we deserved it. Tottenham had their chances and are a fine team, but they’re on the verge of being able to win this type of game. Sometimes you just need that spark, maybe a trophy win, but we had our experience and made the most of it in these circumstances.
“We were watching the first leg of Paris Saint-Germain against Real Madrid and if anyone deserved to win that, it was them. It’s no coincidence that Real Madrid are struggling in La Liga, but never get this type of match wrong.
“Year by year, two, three or four times, we learn and gain that experience. We were fortunate in the first year to have a good draw, but the victory over Real Madrid gave us a real boost.
“Year by year, you learn, you grow, but considering the quality at our disposal, we need to play better. We are aware of that and talk about it, because we’re not blind, we are not just happy with the result and that is it.
“We are in there and will continue fighting so we’ll be tough for everyone.”
There was a heartfelt minute’s silence before kick-off for Fiorentina and Italy defender Davide Astori, who died in his sleep at the age of 31.
“Tomorrow will be tough for those of us who are going to the funeral. It seems frankly reductive to dedicate this win to him. His smile and his positivity were more important than anything else and I hope this new Nazionale going forward will continue to grow from his positive example.”