Juventus host Bayer Leverkusen in their second Group D clash, having being held 2-2 at Atletico Madrid in their opener
Maurizio Sarri
Turin (Italy): Juventus coach Maurizio Sarri believes his side need to enjoy themselves more if they are going to have any chance of ending their 24-year wait for the Champions League trophy. Sarri, 60, will oversee his first Champions League match at home in the Allianz Stadium tonight. Juventus host Bayer Leverkusen in their second Group D clash, having being held 2-2 at Atletico Madrid in their opener. "The Champions League is really the top for a player and coach, but at the same time we should also have fun," Sarri told a pre-match press conference in Turin.
"At the moment it's difficult for Italian teams to be among the favourites. English teams are favourites for obvious reasons but we should be easier on ourselves. The idea is to really cheer up a little bit. Our goal is to go all the way until the Champions League final but it's a competition that can only be determined in certain moments. I'm expecting a good result tomorrow."
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The eight-time reigning Italian champions are unbeaten so far this season. They are up against a Bayer Leverkusen, who finished fourth in the Bundesliga last season, and are sixth this term. The Germans slumped to a surprise 2-1 defeat at home against Lokomotiv Moscow in their opener. Leverkusen won 3-1 the last time the two teams met in 2001-02, when the Germans reached the final.
Sarri said he would make his team selection after training on Monday, deciding who would play up front alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. "Playing Ronaldo, (Paulo) Dybala and (Gonzalo) Higuain all together from the start is a fascinating suggestion, but we are not ready yet for the level of balance required," said Sarri. "For now we could only try this solution for parts of the match."
Live on TV
Real v Brugge: Sony Ten 2 & HD, 22:25
Galatasaray v PSG: Sony Six & HD, 00:30 (Wed)
Tottenham v Bayern: Sony Six & HD, 00:30
Galatasaray v PSG: Sony ESPN & HD, 00:30 (Wed)
Man City v Dinamo Zagreb: Sony Ten 1 & HD, 00:30 (Wed)
Juventus v Leverkusen: Sony Ten 2 & HD, 00:30
Lokomotiv v Atletico: Sony Ten 3 & HD, 00:30
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