Stephan Lichtsteiner says Champions League progression was a ‘requirement’ for Juventus, and they'd rather face an attacking team.
The Bianconeri secured their passage to the knockout phase of the competition with a 0-0 draw with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, and Lichtsteiner believes the club is back where they belong.
“I think first and foremost it’s important for Juventus to get beyond the group,” Lichtsteiner reflected in an interview with JTV.
Stephan Lichtsteiner says Champions League progression was a ‘requirement’ for Juventus, and they'd rather face an attacking team.
The Bianconeri secured their passage to the knockout phase of the competition with a 0-0 draw with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, and Lichtsteiner believes the club is back where they belong.
“I think first and foremost it’s important for Juventus to get beyond the group,” Lichtsteiner reflected in an interview with JTV.
“For Juventus it’s a must to at least get to the knockout stages, given the team we have, the importance of the club and most importantly the fans.
“I think the second round is a requirement for Juventus. This time we had a few struggles, which is normal, and we were a little worried after last year [when Juventus went out in the group].
“There are three or four teams which are ahead of us, and would be very difficult to beat over two games.
“As for the rest of them, we have the players, the Coach, the staff and fans, and hopefully we’ll also have a little bit of luck, which you always need to win.
“I think it’s better for us to have a bit of space in front of us. We can score goals on the counter-attack.
“As we’ve seen in the League and the Champions League [against Atletico], when teams shut up shop then it’s very difficult.
“When we play a team that’s a little more open we always manage to create a lot of chances.
“In the Champions League there aren’t many teams that will sit in and defend, because they’re all big teams who want to play football.”
The Swiss defender also discussed his teammates past and present, after being unable to name the best player he has played alongside.
“There’s not just one player, there are a couple,” Lichtsteiner explained.
“In the current team there’s the goalkeeper Gigi [Buffon], then [Andrea] Pirlo, [Carlos] Tevez and before that [Alessandro] Del Piero.
“Those are players who impress you every day. Even [Paul] Pogba at his very young age is a fantastic player.
“Those are the players you’ll tell your friends about when you’re older.”