Jon Brodkin listens as Juventus talk a great game before tonight's crunch encounter against Arsenal
If Juventus play as impressive a game as they have talked in the build-up, Arsenal are in for a tough time tonight. With Lilian Thuram promising the bianconeri will hit their visitors like "a hurricane" and Fabio Capello predicting his players can achieve "something extraordinary", there is no shortage of confidence among the Serie A leaders that they can overcome a two-goal deficit and reach the semi-finals.
Juventus were outplayed and ill disciplined at Highbury last week and their already significant absentee list grew yesterday when the club captain, Alessandro Del Piero, was again ruled out because of his thigh injury. Yet the Italians believe they can conjure a spectacular comeback in front of their supporters.
"The game in Turin will be completely different from the first leg as we will be in control," Thuram, the France defender said. "We are going to attack Arsenal like a hurricane and put their defence into difficulties. Man for man, the Juventus team is superior to Arsenal's and it would not be a surprise if we scored three or even four goals.
"The first leg was a disaster for us. It was not the real Juventus that you saw. But now the entire world will see the real Juve. We suffered a humiliation, but now we are ready to take our revenge."
It will require a huge improvement on the form that has seen Juventus go three matches without a victory. Draws at home to Roma and away to Serie A's bottom club Treviso sandwich the dismal 2-0 defeat at Highbury. A feisty Capello promised yesterday that his side will attack from the very first minute tonight in an attempt to repair the damage sustained at Arsenal.
"We will start to attack already in the tunnel while we are entering the pitch," the coach said. "Sometimes miracles can happen in football and we are convinced we can achieve something extraordinary - something historic - tomorrow."
Since the start of the Champions League in 1992 only three teams have recovered from a two-goal first-leg deficit to advance. Barcelona managed that against Gianluca Vialli's Chelsea in 2000, and Deportivo La Coruna and Monaco did it against Milan and Real Madrid in 2004.
The last time Juventus won in Serie A or Europe by a score that would even force extra-time this evening was 19 games ago, on December 21st, when they won 2-0 at home to Siena. Ten days earlier they had beaten Cagliari 4-0.
The task for them tonight has been made more difficult without Del Piero and the suspended trio of Mauro Camoranesi, Patrick Vieira and Jonathan Zebina, but Capello was upbeat. "I never cry about what I don't have," he said. "I'm always positive. I am happy with the team I have and I am confident that we can do well."
Capello confirmed his attacking plans by trying the Uruguayan forward Marcelo Zalayeta alongside David Trezeguet and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the final training session before the game, though he is likely to start with his usual 4-4-2 formation and turn to a three-prong attack only if needed.
He will trust Juventus provide a far better response than at the Stadio delle Alpi at this stage of the Champions League last season when they had a 2-1 deficit to overcome against Liverpool but were flat and went out meekly after a goalless draw. Capello's optimism this time is partly encouraged by the availability of Pavel Nedved to play on the left after the Czech Republic midfielder missed the first leg because of suspension. The coach is sure that Nedved's return can be decisive for his side.
"Pavel is a player who can carry the whole team on his shoulders," he said. "He can constantly change the tempo of the game with his runs and can become crucial in a match in which we will have to attack from the very first minute."
The biggest problem for Juventus, though, is arguably the poor form of Trezeguet and Ibrahimovic. Trezeguet has scored in only two competitive games since the turn of the year and Ibrahimovic is continuing to struggle with form and fitness and to disappoint in front of goal. The Sweden striker reacted angrily to Capello after being replaced during the 0-0 draw at Treviso.
Juventus's suspensions mean that the Brazilian Emerson will be partnered in central midfield by Giuliano Giannichedda; Gianluca Zambrotta will switch to the right side of defence to replace Zebina, with Giorgio Chiellini coming into the side on the left; and the former Chelsea forward Adrian Mutu will start on the right side of midfield in place of Camoranesi.
