Turin: Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon has warned his side to take nothing for granted in Barcelona despite the commanding protection of a 3-0 lead from the first leg of their Champions League tie.
Paulo Dybala’s first-half brace and a Giorgio Chiellini header in the second earned Tuesday’s memorable triumph at the Juventus Stadium.
But Buffon, 39, has told his teammates to keep their feet on the ground ahead of the second leg in Barcelona next week — well aware of Barcelona’s stunning 6-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain after going down 4-0 in the French capital in the previous.
“The feelings are positive. This was no fluke result. We deserved it and we have no reason to fear anyone,” Buffon told Juventus’ website.
“We played our game and showed what we’re capable of but you only have to look at the PSG match to remember that we must be careful. We’re happy, but we’re not through yet,” he added.
The matchup was a repeat of the 2015 Champions League final where Barcelona prevailed over Buffon-captained Juventus in Berlin.
“Since 2015 we have more belief, we are more at ease with the ball and with certain environments, whereas in the past we were almost a little nervous against some teams,” he said.
“One thing’s for sure: we’re not afraid of playing on the biggest European stages,” Buffon thundered.
Buffon also heaped praise on Dybala, saying the 23-year-old is one of the best players in the world. “Paulo has improved enormously over the last two years. He could well be up there among the top five players in the world.”
Ace Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini also echoed Buffon’s opinions, saying: “We approached the game the right way and tried to press them high up the pitch so that we could gain a few yards. Obviously you’re never going to keep superstars like that lot completely quiet but fortunately we had Super Buffon in goal to save the day.
“We’re pleased but we know there’s still a long way to go. It will be a different game at Camp Nou. Mind you, if someone had offered me this result, I think I’d have ripped his arm off.”
