Pressure all on Juve, says Olympiakos manager Michel
Olympiakos coach Michel heaped the pressure on Juventus after underlining the Italian giants’ need for a home win in their Champions League Group A clash in Turin on Tuesday.
Juve’s last-16 chances are hanging in the balance after dropping to third in the group, three points adrift of Atletico Madrid and Olympiakos, following respective away defeats to the pair in the past month.
With a tricky away trip to Swedish champions Malmoe and a home clash against Atletico still to come, the Serie A champion realistically needs a win, preferably with a two-goal cushion, against the Greeks if it is to keep its knockout phase hopes alive.
Michel said: «Juventus has a good home record but that’s not something that concerns us.
“For them a win is fundamental, for us it’s not. We’ve already beaten both Atletico and Juventus, and that shows how much potential we have.”
Olympiakos’s 1-0 win a fortnight ago was down to Pajtim Kasami’s clinical 36th-minute finish, although much of the credit after the game went to Spanish goalkeeper Roberto for repelling a second-half onslaught from Juventus.
Michel added: «In Athens we deserved the win. We’re very proud to have beaten such a big side as Juventus and were looking for a repeat.”
Michel’s side failed to find the net in a scoreless draw against 10-man Asteras Tripolis at the weekend, when Andrea Pirlo and Alvaro Morata scored for the Serie A leaders in a 2-0 win away to Empoli.
But Michel added: «In our last league game we didn’t hit the net, but that will come. It’s my job to make sure my players find a way past opposition defences.”
[AFP]
