Spalletti: ‘Every game an opportunity to drag Juventus out of mediocrity’

Luciano Spalletti shrugs off Juventus difficulties against Bodo/Glimt and explains his massive squad rotation. ‘Every game is an opportunity to drag ourselves out of mediocrity.’

It kicks off at the Aspmyra Stadion in Bodo, Norway, at 20.00 GMT.

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game and Napoli-Qarabag on the Liveblog.

The conditions are never easy in Norway, and the artificial pitch has been a problem for quite a few clubs who visited here over the years.

It is even tougher this evening under heavy snow, which also forced the plane carrying Juventus directors Giorgio Chiellini and Damien Comolli to stop in Sweden, so they needed to make the four-hour journey by car covering 360km.

“The best moment this evening will be when we realise that everything we manage to do doesn’t depend on the situation, but on ourselves. Once we realise that, it is the best possible physical and mental training for the match,” Spalletti told Sky Sport Italia.

There are numerous changes to the starting XI, including Fabio Miretti in a more advanced role, Weston McKennie and Andrea Cambiaso out wide of the four-man midfield, which includes Vasilije Adzic.

“It was above all to rotate the squad and show we have faith in these players, who must see it as an opportunity. There will be pressure, but also a chance to show the kind of player you are. We are in the Champions League, the lounge of football,” explained Spalletti.

“So we must go out there and play with more quality, and there are players who have this ability to take men on. We’ve got more than most with Kenan Yildiz, Edon Zhegrova, Francisco Conceicao, they can all do that, but having them together you lose balance.

“I think we are getting some situations into focus and every game is an opportunity to drag ourselves out of mediocrity.”

The pressure is on Juventus, who are still without a victory in the Champions League this season after three draws and a defeat to Real Madrid.

They have not improved since Igor Tudor was sacked, as after an initial win over Cremonese, Spalletti has drawn his last three in all competition.