Conte: Juventus will not underestimate Celtic

Feb 12, 2013 8:15:00 AM

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.

Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25
Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200
Sign up to Paddy Power for £250 in free bets
Sign up today with Coral and get a £50 FREE bet - no strings attached!
Sign up today with BetVictor and get a £25 FREE BET!

play

open

Inside Goal.Com

Real Madrid are better off without Mourinho
The Portuguese's position had become untenable in recent weeks, especially after Friday's debacle in the Copa del Rey. Now he's leaving, but the club can grow stronger without him
AVB, Levy & Lewis to thrash out Tottenham plans
After missing out on a place in the Champions League, the north London side are devising a way to keep Gareth Bale at the club and attract new stars to White Hart Lane
Bayern's jinx - CL final referee Nicola Rizzoli
Goal takes a look at the career of the Italian arbiter to date following Uefa's decision to appoint the 41-year-old for Saturday's showpiece at Wembley
Cartoon: Casillas' birthday wish comes true
Goal.com cartoonist Omar Momani gives us his unique take on the football news of the day
Goal's Serie A awards for 2012-13
Goal crowns the best and worst from Italy over the course of the season