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Pirlo: Celtic atmosphere won’t intimidate Juventus
6 Feb 2013 15:30:00
The playmaker says that the noise created by the Hoops faithful will only serve to make his side stronger when they meet in the Champions League
Andrea Pirlo has said that Juventus will have no fear when they visit Celtic next week.
Antonio Conte’s side face Neil Lennon’s Scottish outfit in the first leg of their Champions League tie at Celtic Park, but the Italian midfielder believes the ground's famous atmosphere will not intimidate Juve’s experienced players.
“I'm sure the noise from the Celtic fans will be crazy, but that will only make us more determined to go into battle,” Pirlo told Skysports.com.
“I know that Celtic Park will be like a gladiator arena, but we're ready. We are prepared for whatever Celtic have to offer. We have players who have won the World Cup and Champions League, so we are used to intimidating games.”
The 33-year-old did however refer to the Hoops’ victory over Barcelona in November, but feels that result will make his side approach the game in the correct manner.
He added: “We saw that they beat Barca in Glasgow, but we are prepared to adapt maybe more than Barcelona did. We know Barcelona play fantastic football, but Celtic frustrated them. Whatever way Celtic want to play, we are ready for them.
“If they want to play football, we'll play football. But if they want to battle, we are ready to go to battle.”
The first leg of the tie will be played on Tuesday, February 12, with the return leg on Wednesday, March 6.
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