Juventus find themselves facing a tough Champions League Round of 16 tie against German champions Bayern Munich. Before the match, their midfield star Paul Pogba spoke about playing against his former team-mate Arturo Vidal.
Arturo Vidal was a vital cog in the Juventus wheel in their 4 Scudetto-winning seasons prior to this one. The central midfielder rose to fame with his performances for the Bianconeri and the Chile national team at the World Cup. He was sold to Bayern Munich last year for 40 million euros as he now gears up for their Championship League clash against Juventus in what will be the first time he will come up against his former club.
Fellow central midfielder Paul Pogba recently spoke about facing his former midfield partner. He stated that Juventus were familiar with the player and that there would definitely be a few kicks thrown around.
“We know all about Arturo’s quality – he is very dynamic, he runs a lot and he can score at any moment,” Pogba said, according to fourfourtwo.com.
“He is very skilful, he can play a great final ball, so he is a complete player; everyone knows it. We know him so we will give him a few kicks – but nothing too nasty! We hope to win against my friend ‘Arturito’.”
The Old Lady dealing admirably with exodus of key players
Juventus dominated proceedings domestically last season, winning the Scudetto as well as the Coppa Italia. They even reached the finals of the UEFA Champions League, losing out 3-1 to Barcelona at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
However, they were scarred by the loss of key players in the summer transfer window. Apart from Arturo Vidal, they also lost Andrea Pirlo and star striker Carlos Tevez. While advancing age forced Pirlo to move to the MLS, Tevez decided to return home to Argentine club Boca Juniors.
Though the loss of three key players has certainly had an impact on Massimiliano Allegri’s side, the club has managed to cope well after a stuttering start to the season. They are now on top of the Serie A table, two points ahead of Napoli, although Maurizio Sarri’s men do have a game in hand.
