05 November 2017
Blaise Matuidi praised his Juventus team-mates for keeping their heads after they came from behind to beat Benevento 2-1 at Allianz Stadium on Sunday.
"We stayed patient and kept calm," he said. "After Gonzalo [Higuain] scored we were certain that we could go on and win the game and that’s exactly what happened. We’ve gained two points on Napoli and Inter and that’s definitely going to be important in such a tough league."
Matuidi also thanked the fans for staying behind the team after Benevento took an unexpected lead in Turin.
"We made life hard for ourselves by conceding from the only chance we gave them," he said. "The support of the fans was crucial – they helped us to get the win from a difficult game."
The French midfielder is already looking ahead to the Champions League clash against Barcelona after the international break.
"We were unlucky at the Camp Nou but we’re really optimistic given that we’re at home this time," he said. "We’ll be up against one of the best teams in the world, but we’re really looking forward to the game and desperate to win. We have what it takes to beat them and our performance against them at home last year shows that."
Last but certainly not least, Matuidi spoke of his pride at playing a part in Juventus’ 120th birthday celebrations.
"It was an amazing feeling to play with this special jersey to mark Juve’s 120th birthday" he said. "It’s a great honour to be part of a club with such wonderful history and the win made the day perfect."
