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Igor Tudor is expecting a tough test and a “high-level” game against Borussia Dortmund when Juventus kick off their Champions League campaign on Tuesday.
Last season, Juventus made it to the knockout-stage play-offs under Thiago Motta but were knocked out after a 4-3 aggregate defeat to PSV, missing out on the last 16.
Tudor took over in March and directed Juventus to a top-four finish, and he has started this campaign strongly with three wins from three in Serie A.
They beat Derby d’Italia rivals Inter 4-3 on Saturday, with a stoppage-time winner from Vasilije Adzic maintaining their 100% start to the campaign.
Tudor will become just the fourth individual to both play for and manage Juventus in the Champions League, and he is determined to build on their positive results so far, though he highlighted that it will not be easy against a Dortmund side who are also in good form.
“They are a great team, not only in Germany but also on the European stage,” Tudor told a press conference. “This match will be played at home, and we can’t wait to start this wonderful competition.
“How far can we go in the Champions League? We’re definitely not thinking about that right now. We just have to focus on the next challenge, which is against a very strong opponent.
“We played against the strongest team in Serie A [Inter] in terms of squad potential, and we won without playing at our best. That should make us reflect on our real value and what we could have done better.
The Champions League is a different tournament, it’s beautiful and fascinating. In my experience as a coach, players forget about tiredness in the Champions League. Everyone’s goal is to play. It’s a privilege.”
