Conte: Juventus will not underestimate Celtic

12-Feb-2013 1:45:00 PM

The successful trainer has made it clear that the Hoops will not be pushovers, and says he dreams of going all the way in Europe

Antonio Conte has insisted that Juventus will not underestimate Celtic in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie at Parkhead on Tuesday evening.

The Serie A champions are seen as the sky-high favourites to reach the quarter-finals at the expense of the Scottish giants, but Conte has stressed that a tough task awaits the Bianconeri.

"We’ve got great respect for Celtic and won’t underestimate them. They’re back in the Champions League and, like us, are outsiders who want to go as far as possible," Conte said at a press conference.

"They’re a physical team and score a high percentage of their goals from set pieces. We kept a close eye on Celtic’s Champions League progress during the group stages.

"Home advantage has been very important for them. The stadium will act as their 12th man. Not many teams could manage to beat Barcelona at home and lose by a whisker at the Nou Camp.

"It’s a dream to be back in the Champions League and our dream is now to claim a place in the quarter-finals."

Tuesday's match is scheduled to kick off at 20:45CET.

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