Koopmeiners: ‘Better a Juventus victory than 2 goals’ against Galatasaray
Teun Koopmeiners insists ‘it is better to win together as a team than score two goals’ as Juventus try to overturn their Champions League play-off with Galatasaray.
It kicks off at the Allianz Juventus Stadium at 20.00 GMT (21.00 CET).
There is a mountain to climb after the 5-2 first leg defeat in Istanbul, which they had been leading 2-1 through a Koopmeiners brace, only to collapse completely after the Juan Cabal red card.
He is suspended here along with Andrea Cambiaso, plus Emil Holm, Dusan Vlahovic and Arek Milik injured, Gleison Bremer only fit for the bench.
Koopmeiners sees Juventus comeback
“We have to push hard from the first minute. We need to score at least three goals, but also think about keeping balanced, so we need to do it all,” Koopmeiners told Amazon Prime Video Italia and Sky Sport Italia.
Juve have been in a crisis recently, scraping just one draw from their last five games in all competition.
That run saw them eliminated from the Coppa Italia quarter-final and slide down to fifth place in Serie A, ahead of this weekend’s showdown with Roma.
“We know that we can do better than in recent weeks, the important thing is to play with energy. I am happy to have scored two goals in the first leg, but it is better to win together as a team than to score a brace.”
Michele Di Gregorio has been struggling with a series of howlers, so he is replaced by Mattia Perin this evening, while Weston McKennie fills in at left-back.
Although Bremer is not fully fit, Koopmeiners does remain in midfield rather than dropping into defence.
“I am a midfielder, everyone knows that, but if the coach needs me in defence to help out due to injuries, then I will do that. I have to do my best wherever I am played.”