MY ACCOUNT
Christophe Galtier feels Juventus have been “deprived of their best players” this season as his Paris Saint-Germain side prepare to face them in the UEFA Champions League.
The French outfit will look to end their Group H campaign on a high note, locked in a battle with Benfica to take top spot heading into the last-16.
It has been a dire season on the continent for Juventus, however, who could crash out of Europe entirely if they fail to get a result and Maccabi Haifa do on Wednesday.
Galtier thinks that no matter the effort that Massimiliano Allegri’s side have put in this season, they were always going to come up short without several of their biggest stars.
“Juventus lack success because they have never had their first-choice team available,” he stated. “When you have world-class players, like Paul Pogba or Federico Chiesa missing, you are quickly weakened and diminished.
“Even with temperament and desire, you need players who have experience and international class. Juventus have been deprived of their best players this season.”
With their superstar squad arguably in greater sync than they have ever been, PSG are hoping to finally claim the Champions League crown this term, two years on from coming up short against Bayern Munich.
Galtier is aware of the anticipation to end their European hoodoo, noting: “There is a lot of expectation around Paris Saint-Germain. It is normal, when you see how our squad is made up.
“We have world-class players, with a lot of experience. But it is a trophy that is very difficult to win. We hope it will be this year. There is a lot of hope, a lot of expectation, but we are doing everything possible to win one day.”
