JUVENTUS, Quagliarella: "Playing every three days means there’s no time to look back"

Fabio Quagliarella continued his impressive form in this year’s Champions League by coming off the bench in Wednesday night’s 4-0 success over Nordsjaelland to register his second goal in the competition.

But the striker, speaking exclusively to Sky Italia, insists the team are already focused on Saturday night’s trip to newly-promoted Pescara.

The 29-year-old said: “We took to the field yesterday looking to redeem ourselves and show that the Inter game was a one-off. With the way we play, we’re used to attacking and have dominated a large part of the games we’ve played over the past two years. Every now and again there can be moments when we’re not able to do so.

“Playing every three days means there’s no time to look back, the defeat along with yesterday’s victory are now firmly behind us. We’re all looking ahead to Pescara.”

Returning to consider the Bianconeri’s future in Europe’s top competition, Quagliarella warned of the potential pitfalls that lie ahead against defending champions Chelsea and high-flying Shakhtar.

“We’ll face two excellent sides. Shakhtar particularly impressed me when they came to Turin. It will be tough in Ukraine, but the crucial game for us will be our meeting with Chelsea.

“We need to do everything we can to win, otherwise it will be extremely difficult. Chelsea are a very physical side and possess technically gifted players who can cause us difficulty.”

The former Napoli frontman concluded by analysing the fierce competition for a striking berth at Juventus.

“There are five strikers and the manager has always been straight with us from the start. He picks two for every game and we all feel first choice. It’s possible to play two or three games in a row and then start on the bench or be in the stands.

“We know that goals are expected from the strikers, but Conte mainly looks at our contribution to the play and movement. But what matters is that our sacrifices bear fruit.”