Focus on the quarters

“Whatever the competition, we approach every game with the same focus. We’re coming into this game in great form and on the back of a morale-boosting win over Milan.

“Barcelona? The only thing to be learned from that game is that nothing should be taken for granted in football. Having the quality players like Barca do makes results like that more achievable but when you have the desire to fight until the very end, anything is possible.”

Game plan for Porto

“Porto will give us a tough game, let’s not forget that they have already won in Italy this season. The sending off made for a very different encounter in Portugal in the first leg and we are expecting a real test of our mettle tomorrow night.

“Conceding a goal is never in our plans but if Porto do get a breakthrough early on then we need to remain calm and make sure we produce a reaction.

“We have some world-class defenders in the squad and we defend resiliently as a team. Preparations for this game have gone  very well and we have a good idea of how we will keep Porto out and make chances of our own at the other end.”

UCL dreams

“Winning the Champions League at my age in just my second year at the club would be incredible. It’s a dream we all share; there are guys here that want to win it and some that have already. Either way, the desire to go as far as we can is so strong.

“I want to score more goals in this competition and make as big an impact as possible but if we keep us this momentum and go all the way to the final then I will be delighted regardless.

“I’m playing in a role that suits my characteristics well; while I didn’t expect the tactical change the coach has asked me to make, I am much better for it. I love receiving the ball between the lines and making things happen for my team-mates.”

Juve flying high

“Anyone who gets to this stage of the Champions League has the quality to go on and win the trophy. We are playing at a level at the moment that puts us in the same bracket as Europe’s other top clubs, if not above them.

“We are top of the league, we have a great chance of reaching the UCL quarter-finals and we are one step away from the Coppa Italia final.”

“Milan? Biggest moment of my career”

“The spot-kick against Milan was probably one of the biggest moments of my career so far for what had come before it over the 90 minutes, the fact that I had missed a penalty in Doha and the amount of time that passed between the foul being given and my stepping up to shoot. The feeling when it hit the net was unforgettable.”

Porto: top opponents

“Tomorrow’s match poses more risks than may initially meet the eye, first and foremost because, in football, you can never take anything for granted.

“Furthermore, I’ve few doubts that Porto will play an excellent game: let’s not forget how they fared in the Champions League play-off away to Roma in the summer when they managed to qualify comfortably even though their opponents had the upper hand after the first leg.

“They’re a team brimming with experience at this level and they know how to take full advantage of any chances that come their way.

“Therefore, tomorrow we must make sure that we dictate proceedings. We need to treat this like a ‘winner takes all’ match, without thinking about our 2-0 lead and doing what’s necessary in order to secure another victory in this tie.”

Team news for tomorrow

“Everybody is in good nick except for Sturaro, who should be back in time for the away game at Sampdoria, but I need to manage my resources carefully given the vast amount of energy we used up on Friday against Milan.

“Marchisio will start against Porto and there’ll be just two midfielders on the pitch, meaning one of Khedira and Pjanic will partner him.

“Meanwhile in defence, I still need to make a call on Chiellini’s involvement tomorrow. There are just two positions I’m unsure about and that’s at right-back and centre-back.”

Entering Europe’s elite

“We’re duty-bound to reach the next round of the Champions League and count ourselves among the top eight teams in Europe.

“We need to feel like we belong there and that we have what it takes to ultimately win this magical competition.”

“Above all, I am pleased that I have a full squad to choose from, apart from Alex Telles of course who is suspended. We know full well that it will be difficult but by no means impossible for us to reach the quarter-finals.

“We have come here in good form, high spirits and we have the belief to get the result we want. Everyone knows how strong Juventus are on home soil. Their records speak for themselves but eventually someone will beat them here and it could be us that does it.

“We are behind in the tie but there are no parallels to be drawn with what Barcelona achieved last week. We must consider this as a completely different, one-off game.

“Beginning in the play-offs in August, we’ve come a long way to get to this point and the team can be proud of what they have achieved so far.

“The red card in the first game was a deciding factor in the first leg but we can’t say with any certainty if it would have been different had Telles remained on the field. The outcome of tomorrow’s game depends entirely on us.

“We have a clear idea of how we want to approach the game; we want to attack, be effective at both ends of the field and give our creative players license to influence the proceedings as best they can.”

“We are preparing for a tough game against top opposition but we believe we have it takes to reach the next round.

“The way we have trained and performed as a group in recent weeks has demonstrated that and we are confident that we will produce a worthy performance.

“We’re in good shape at the moment, we’re playing good football and we want to showcase the resilience and mental strength of the squad; we’ll be giving everything to remain in the competition.”