06 March 2015
Simone Padoin says Juventus are aiming to channel their disappointment at last night’s Coppa Italia reverse against Fiorentina into a positive response during April’s decisive leg at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.
Despite yesterday’s slip up on home soil, the midfielder believes a place in the final remains there for the taking and is confident in the team’s chances of battling back from their deficit.
Speaking to Jtv’s Filo Diretto, Padoin began: “Yesterday’s result may have been a setback, but the tie’s not over. In a month’s time we’ll travel to Florence looking to overturn the scoreline.”
First up, though, is a return to Serie A action on Monday night against Sassuolo, a team who are already 12 points better off than they were at this stage of last year's campaign.
They are also one of the few sides to have claimed points off the Bianconeri in Serie A this year, a fact the midfielder was keen to underline when considering the game with host Laura Barriales.
“We need to bounce back from this defeat and I’m sure we’ll do so at the first time of asking on Monday. We know we’ll be up against a decent team and a very young one at that.
“They were the first side to bring an end to our run of six consecutive victories at the start of the season, but winning is the most important thing on Monday.”
Three points on Monday night would enable the Bianconeri to continue their march towards a fourth consecutive Scudetto, but with plenty of games remaining, Padoin warned there could be twists and turns in the title race to come.
“We’ve done well to gain a nine-point lead over Roma but with 13 games to go and 39 points up for grabs, it means nothing as things stand, anything can still happen.”
On the Champions League last 16 tie with Borussia Dortmund, the 30-year-old, who celebrates his birthday on the day of the game, added: “We have a slight advantage because two of three outcomes would see us go through. Having said that, I think it would be wrong to travel to Dortmund and aim for a draw, because you risk losing by playing with that mentality.”
