31 January 2025
With the first phase of the new Champions League concluded - no longer divided into groups and with six matches to face, but with eight matches on the calendar to delineate a single grid - we now move on to the play-off challenges that will allow eight of the 16 teams classified between ninth and 24th position to reach the Round of 16.
Juventus, who finished in 20th position with 12 points, will face PSV Eindhoven - an opponent already encountered in the League Phase which the Bianconeri won 3-1 at the Allianz Stadium on 17 September.
Juventus will play the first encounter at home on 12/13 February, with the second leg set for 18/19 February (to be confirmed in due course).
The winner of this tie will face either Inter Milan or English outfit Arsenal, in a draw that will take place next month.
PESSOTTO'S WORDS
Gianluca Pessotto, Juventus Football Teams Staff Coordination Manager, present in Nyon for the draw, shared his comments on the play-off round.
"Whether this is a good draw or not, we will only understand after the return match: it's still nice to avoid a derby, because that leaves the hope of seeing one more Italian side in the Round of 16. Months have passed since our match against PSV in September: we must be prepared for this play-off, with the conviction that we can do well and be able to play. The key word is confidence: in what we are doing, in the squad, in the good things that have been done. We must remain compact and united towards our goals, exploiting our good qualities and working on our mistakes. At the beginning of the season we were full and fresh, we had injuries that inevitably affected us and the path has become more erratic, but the team is young, we must gain experience and, I repeat, have confidence in what we are doing and where we want to go."
