Alessio: We must control the ball

Juventus assistant coach Angelo Alessio believes his side must 'control the ball' if they are to beat Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday night.

The Italian said: 'I think we have been improving from game to game, so I am very optimistic about the match in Donetsk. We should concentrate from the start, stay focused and fight for every ball. Control of the ball will be crucial, as we need to press them and not allow them to play the football they want to play. Our actions during the opening minutes will be very important.

'What do I think about the student-professor metaphor used by Lucescu? Well, he's very smart and a clever person, so maybe the Shakhtar coach deliberately talked down the strengths of his own side. I don't think Shakhtar will look like a student tomorrow.

'It's always difficult to predict the final result. There are a lot of possibilities and different scenarios but we'll push it all the way.'

　
Dec. 5, 2012.