This evening should be a very entertaining game for the neutrals, but it is going to be nerve racking for a Juventino like me! I will be proud of the lads no matter what the score is at the end, just as long as they keep fighting until the end. Juventus are a proud club with a fantastic history spanning 115 years and a "never say die" attitude that is admirable. They should be able to channel the frustration of the league result against Lazio and turn it into something positive.
The things that I will not be able to understand, is if they concede defeat and start making " silly" mistakes and rash challenges ( Giorgio Chellini I mean you.) The worst thing that could happen is that they give a free kick in a dangerous area or they score from a penalty and Juve find it harder to score because all Chelsea have to do is defend.
Too many people like to highlight the fact that Juve don't have the " top name" striker, but this Juventus is more than just the big names, it's a truly group effort, where goals can come from anywhere, and thus making them rather unpredictable. However, I still wish they would score more- just to help with my anxiety!
The last time these two met was in the 2008/09 season, and I remember it well as it was Pavel Nedved's last chance to get to the finals as he retired at the end of that season. They also had Alessandro Del Piero who scored in the 2-2 draw. They still ended up going out in the last 16 as it was not enough, that's what I fear tonight, that it won't be enough to secure qualification.
The Old Lady currently sit in third place just 1 point behind Chelsea, but as Juve have drawn the first three games and only won 1, qualification is not impossible, but a win will definitely make it less stressful!
There are only 4 players that have survived from the 2008/9 season encounter with Chelsea : Claudio Marchisio, Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini and Sebastion Giovinco. Marchisio has grown into an integral part of Juventus' midfield and Buffon is the cool head that they need. But even though Chiellini is one of the best Italian defenders, he can get a little shirty with the opposition and we don't want to give the English media any excuse to turn him into a villan! Giovinco may not have the physical presence but he is determined to stay in this Juve side after a brief spell with Parma.
Turin couldn't be a better stage for this encounter as it is truly elegant and brimming with class and boast a tremendous history, just like Juventus!
FORZA JUVENTUS!
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