Juventus are set to travel to Porto on Tuesday afternoon, and club captain Giorgio Chiellini joined Andrea Pirlo for the pre-match press conference.
The Bianconeri will take on the Portuguese champions on Wednesday night in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16.
The Italian champions managed to top their group by beating Barcelona 3-0 at the Camp Nou in their last European encounter.
Nonetheless, the Old Lady’s domestic form has witnessed several ups and downs throughout the season.
Juventus were in the midst of winning run, but a defeat against Napoli on Saturday caused another setback for Pirlo’s men.
Chiellini in particular has been blamed for the loss, as the VAR caught him hitting Partenopei defender Amir Rrahmani in the face, which resulted in the winning goal for host via a spot kick.
However, the 36-year-old seemed to be unfazed by the loss, as he prefers to focus his attention on the upcoming European fixture.
“We have come from a very positive period,” Chiellini said at the press conference as translated by Football Italia.
“Saturday’s match doesn’t hurt us, we need balance and the two competitions must be distinguished.
“We are fighting for all the objectives, now the Champions League begins and we arrive with enthusiasm.
“But we are aware of the difficulties we face tomorrow.” added the captain.
“They’re a team that defends well and concedes few goals,” he said. “They have quality on the sides and up front.
Regarding the competition for the spots at back, the Italy captain assured that it is a positive element for the team
“We are four centre-backs and we are really strong, all with different characteristics,” he said. “That’s the coach’s business, we must always be ready.
“We must be aware that two out of four will be on the bench. In recent months we have rotated but there has always been a great atmosphere.
“Tomorrow it will be emotional, but we experienced a similar thing in the Coppa Italia against Inter,” he continued. “In the Champions League it’s tougher, because we know our opponents less.
“We have to avoid making the mistakes we have made in the recent years, as they costed us.”
The captain said he probably knows Leonardo Bonucci ‘better than I know my wife’ when asked about Pirlo’s different options at the back.
“Depending on the teammate who plays next to you, something always changes,” he said. “They are different characters.
“The training sessions help you improve the automatisms that are important.
“I know [Matthijs] De Ligt much better than a year and a half ago. The same goes for [Merih] Demiral. For Bonucci, by now, I think I know him better than I know my wife…”