Gianluigi Buffon is wary of the threat posed by Juventus’ Champions League quarter-final opponents Monaco, but thinks the Bianconeri could go all the way.
The two sides meet at the Juventus Stadium on Tuesday evening in the first leg and the French side pulled off one of the competition’s biggest shocks in the Last 16 by knocking out Arsenal.
Buffon admitted that the draw was favourable to the Old Lady, but has warned against any complacency.
Gianluigi Buffon is wary of the threat posed by Juventus’ Champions League quarter-final opponents Monaco, but thinks the Bianconeri could go all the way.
The two sides meet at the Juventus Stadium on Tuesday evening in the first leg and the French side pulled off one of the competition’s biggest shocks in the Last 16 by knocking out Arsenal.
Buffon admitted that the draw was favourable to the Old Lady, but has warned against any complacency.
“Of all the teams left in the competition there were two or three that were preferable to draw than the others, and Monaco were one of those teams,” he told L’Equipe.
“They would have thought the same thing about us though – that it’s favourable to face Juventus.
“They are an unpredictable team and we need to tread carefully. They are dangerous away from home and then at home they have difficulties.
“When you think that you aren’t favourites and that you will lose, you can end up winning. On the other hand, when you are favourites you can often have problems.
“Monaco are a difficult team to face, if they have got this far then they have mental and technical quality, they haven’t made it here by chance.
“We will not underestimate the opposition. We are in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and Juventus is a club on the rise, but to demonstrate to Italy and to Europe that we can ascend to the very top, we have to win.”
The Champions League title is one of the few honours in European football that has eluded Buffon and he is cautiously optimistic about his chances of securing it.
“If you were to ask me if I’m thinking about winning it, I would say that it would be incredible but not impossible.
“At the moment there are two or three teams that have superior experience and technical quality, but you never know.
“It’s a title that I’m missing and an objective I think about – I would not be surprised if I won it before the end of my career. I have worked a lot and I believe that if you work, then life will reward you.”