Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli addressed the media ahead of the team’s crucial Champions League playoff first leg against PSV Eindhoven. Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Locatelli emphasized the importance of maintaining Juventus’ identity while acknowledging areas for improvement.
“Tomorrow will be a crucial match, playing at home in front of our fans,” Locatelli began. “PSV is a great opponent, they play well and have a young team. We’ve faced them before, but this time it’s over two legs. It’s important to get an excellent result.”
Reflecting on the team’s growth, Locatelli noted, “We’ve grown as a team, a group of very good players. We always train at 200%, we have more awareness now, but we still have plenty of room for improvement.”
When asked about areas of personal improvement, Locatelli admitted, “Yes, I believe scoring goals and finishing is something I’m missing. I try to work on it in training. Every match requires doing new things, I’m satisfied, but results are seen at the end. We need to keep working, heads down, improving as we’ve all done.”
Locatelli also touched on the team’s playing style and identity: “We always try to maintain our identity, though each match is its own story, and there are opponents to consider. The end goal is the result, it’s important to win matches. Our identity must not change, we must maintain possession.”
Regarding the midfield battle against PSV, Locatelli stated, “It will be a battle in midfield, we need a strong, mature team. It will be difficult to face them.”
When asked about the team’s progress and areas for improvement, Locatelli responded, “There are many things I’ve liked. The work ethic with the young players is positive, it will help us improve, even quickly. We’ve sometimes lacked experience in certain moments of matches, but we’ll improve game by game.”
Locatelli praised the team’s unity, saying, “We’re a good group, I’m happy with my teammates. I consider them all brothers. It’s great to play and run with them and for them. It’s the best thing we have.”
On the topic of the new Champions League format, Locatelli commented, “Mentally, when you play for these teams, everything is training. The match is important, you arrive focused, it’s not about the format. Playing these matches is great, also for the adrenaline. We’ll go on the field to play a great game.”
