Arrigo Sacchi believes Andrea Pirlo and Carlos Tevez will be key for Juventus in their semi-final of the Champions League and thinks the Italians have what it takes to knock out the current holders.
Real Madrid head to Turin tonight for the first leg and will come up against a side that clinched the Italian title on Saturday – their third league success in a row.
Speaking to AS, Sacchi, a former sporting director at Real Madrid, thinks Los Blancos will be in for a tough encounter and must keep a close eye on veteran midfielder Pirlo, and forward Tevez.
“The Italian teams have never been easy for Madrid. If the players forget that, they could cause them some problems. Pirlo is a phenomenon who plays at his own pace. Another phenomenon is Tevez. He plays all over the field and for the team. He plays in a difficult space to defend against – in between the oppoisition defence and the midfield,” he commented.
And he went on to speak about Real’s weaknesses in not pressing together as a team, adding the loss of Luka Modric is a huge blow for them.
“Madrid are without Luka Modric, which is vital. They rely heavily on individual quality and don’t always press well. When they don’t have possession, they are not always good.”
