Giorgio Chiellini says the Bianconeri are relishing the chance to show how far they have come since their last Champions League quarter-final two years ago

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Giorgio Chiellini says the Bianconeri are relishing the opportunity to show how far they have come since they last contested a Champions League quarter-final in 2013.

The defender states he and his team-mates have grown in stature since suffering a last eight defeat to Bayern Munich, and are ready to affirm this tomorrow evening against Monaco.

Speaking to the media at Juventus Stadium, the 30-year-old said: “We’ve got plenty of respect for Monaco, but we’re ready. Our group is more mature than it was two years ago and we’re ready to go after an important achievement. We won’t allow ourselves to be affected by what’s being said on the outside and we certainly won’t make the mistake of underestimating our opponents.”

Tomorrow’s opponents have received plenty of plaudits for their performances on the European stage this season, and Chiellini believes boss Leonardo Jardim has found the perfect blend.

“Monaco are a team possessing a mix of players with international experience and youngsters who are coming on leaps and bounds. They’re regaining consistency and confidence in their abilities.”

Looking to keep the Bianconeri at bay tomorrow night is Monaco defender Andrea Raggi, a man who Chiellini is no stranger to after joining him on Under-21 duty in the fledgling years of his professional career.

He ended by paying tribute to his former team-mate, who has earned rave reviews since joining the Ligue 1 outfit from Bologna in 2012.

“I’ve known Andrea for a while now, we played together for the Under-21s and I’m happy he’s displaying his abilities at such a high level. He’s done well to seize his opportunity at Monaco, where he’s proving himself with decent performances.”

Source: juventus.com

Massimiliano Allegri claims the Bianconeri will need to be patient if they are to succeed in breaching Monaco’s strong defence tomorrow night

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Massimiliano Allegri says his side will need to adopt an entirely different approach from their last 16 tie against Borussia Dortmund if they are going to see off quarter-final foes Monaco over the course of two legs.

While Dortmund are a team built to operate on the attack, Monaco have constructed the foundations of a strong Champions League campaign on defensive solidity, meaning the Bianconeri will have to show patience to find a way through.

Expressing this concept to the media today, Allegri began: “Monaco are the opposite of Borussia. When you play against a team who concede few goals everything becomes a lot tougher. There’s the temptation to throw men forward and then allow them space in which to move, a scenario we must look to avoid. We’ll need to show patience, humility and intelligence.”

Allegri went on to express his respect for tomorrow night’s opponents, deeming them worthy quarter-finalists after a resounding group stage.

“I think they fully deserve to be in the last eight. They conceded just one goal in six games during the group stages, knocking out Benfica and Zenit, and just four in total when you consider their campaign as a whole. These statistics don’t come about by chance. They have a smart coach and we’ll need to put in two strong performances, because it’s unlikely the game will be decided tomorrow night.”

When probed as to his potential starting line-up for tomorrow night, the Tuscan tactician elected to keep his cards close to his chest.

He did, however, concede that the respective conditions of Andrea Pirlo and Andrea Barzagli, both back in the squad after spending varying times out on the sidelines, would make it difficult to envisage both getting the nod on Tuesday.

“It’s unlikely you’ll see both Pirlo and Barzagli in the same line-up. Pirlo hasn’t played for 45 days and Barzagli’s just returned from his minor setback. I’ll need to decide my line-up following tomorrow morning’s final training session. In any case the lads are all in good physical shape and finding the right motivation or strength is never an issue when playing such games.”

Source:   juventus.com