CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Juventus Hopes to Salvage Season
Copyright � 1998 Nando.net
Copyright � 1998 Reuters
ROME (March 2, 1999 9:01 a.m. EST http://www.sportserver.com) - Juventus, undefeated in three league matches under new coach Carlo Ancelotti, hopes to take a big step towards their fourth successive European Cup final when it faces Olympiakos Piraeus of Greece in its quarterfinal first leg on Wednesday.
The Italian champions, out of the title race, are counting on the Cup to salvage a horrible season in which they have been plagued by injuries to key players such as Alessandro Del Piero and Filippo Inzaghi.
But Juventus have visibly improved since Ancelotti took over from Marcello Lippi, showing glimpses of their old form while winning twice and drawing 0-0 at Inter Milan last Saturday.
"It's hard to explain why we're playing better now with Ancelotti, but we are," said French midfielder Didier Deschamps.
"Now we are all very concentrated and ready to play a great match. Juventus are used to the Champions League and we would like to maintain this habit," he added.
Ancelotti said the squad was starting to look like the team that has dominated in Europe and at home over the past four seasons -- just in time for Olympiakos.
"We're coming to this match in good form. There are all the ingredients for success, but we must remember that Olympiakos are one of the best sides in Europe, since they have made it to the quarter-finals," he said.
He added that Juve would play more attacking football compared to their prudent performance last Saturday. "We've got to win, that's all there is to it."
While Del Piero is out for the season with knee ligament damage, Juve will welcome back prolific striker Inzaghi who for the first time since injuring his knee on January 10 is set to start the match at Turin's Delle Alpi Stadium.
Inzaghi played part of the second-half on Saturday and appears ready to go the distance against the Greeks.
The only question for Ancelotti is who to pair him with.
He is unlikely to play France's Thierry Henry and more likel to choose between Italian Nicola Amoruso, Uruguayan Daniel Fonseca or Argentine Juan Esnaider -- who has yet to score since arriving from Espanyol.
The other question mark regards Italy goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi, who will be replaced by Michelangelo Rampulla should he not recover from a knee injured in practice.
Deschamps said the team on Tuesday would study videos of the Greek side, who helped Juve qualify for the quarter-finals last year with a last-gasp goal by Pedrag Djordjevic against Norway's Rosenborg.
"I guess I'm kind of famous around here, but this time around I won't be giving Juventus any favours," Djordjevic said.
The Greek champions have no injury problems and Yugoslav coach Dusan Bayevic said it will be Juventus that the onus will be on Juventus to prove their reputation as the favourites.
"We will simply play the best we can. Juventus are the favourites and they have to prove it. It will be a difficult game but we have done well in difficult matches so far," he said.
Djordjevic. recently asked to join the Yugoslav national squad and hoping to sign with an Italian club next season, will be the organiser along with veteran Vassilis Karapialis.
Defender and club captain Captain Kyriakos Karataidis will head the defencive line and Sinica Gogic will be the only striker in the lineup.
Bayevic was expected to field five defenders hoping to stop the talented Italian frontline
"Juventus has high quality players and their new coach has pumped up their moral. If we keep them from scoring early on, then the pressure will build up and everytrhing is possible," a club official said.
Some 8,000 Greek fans were expected at the stadium.
Probable lineups :
Juventus : 1-Angelo Peruzzi; 15-Alessandro Birindelli, 2-Ciro Ferrara, 19-Igor Tudor, 3-Zoran Mirkovic; 8-Antonio Conte, 14-Didier Deschamps, 26-Edgar Davids; 21-Zinedine Zidane; 9-Filippo Inzaghi, 16-Nicola Amoruso.
Olympiakos : 31-Dimitris Eleftheropoulos, 3-Kyriakos Karataidis, 5-George Amanatidis, 6-Ilias Pursanidis, 14-Dimitris Mavrogenidis, 32-George Anatolakis, 11-Predrag Djordjevic, 18-Vassilis Karapialis, 7-Stelios Yannakopoulos, 21-Grigoris Georgatos, 9-Sinica Gogic
