Juventus captain Manuel Locatelli has insisted that his side must secure victory when they face PSV Eindhoven in Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League play-off first leg.
Juventus will host PSV in the opening leg, with Locatelli stressing the importance of taking advantage of home support and securing a strong result before the return fixture.
Today will be a very important match, we play at home, in front of our fans. Great opponent, they play well, they are young. We have already faced them, but it will be over two games. Today it will be important to get a great result and approach the match well,
Locatelli said.
The midfielder believes a victory would provide the team with greater confidence as they continue to develop under their current setup.
Yes, absolutely. Victory always helps and can give us a hand. We must be aware of our qualities and go out on the pitch to play a great match. We have grown as a team, a group of very good guys. Now we are also a great group. We always train at the maximum, but there is still a lot of room for improvement.
Locatelli also called for maximum intensity and concentration, insisting Juventus must make their home advantage count. He added:
We have to win at home. We have to play a game with great intensity and attitude because we are at home and we want to win.
The Juventus captain is also relishing the opportunity to compete on the biggest European stage and believes the atmosphere of Champions League football provides extra motivation for the players.
