Juventus star looks at Chelsea for inspiration

The Italian side are competing in their third Champions League in seven seasons after the Italian match-fixing scandal led to time in the wilderness.

“Before Chelsea won the Champions League, in the previous years, they were always the team to beat and they always failed.

“And then, when they started struggling, when they were in a declining phase, that’s when they actually won the Champions League.

“What’s beautiful about football is that it’s not always the team that’s considered the stronger one that’s actually going to win.”

Chelsea beat the Old Lady in the last 16 of the competition three years ago but the stopper insists they face a different prospect tonight.

“I think the main difference is the arrival of the new coach and the new technical team,” he said.

“We got in this second year better knowledge of this football system, we’re also more conscious of what we can do.

“I think, before in Europe, we based our strength on individuality, on single players.

“We had a group of 15, 17, 20 really good players.

“But we also relied on that player who could change the match around.

“Now, I think, we’re even more solid as a group. We think of everyone in the same way.”