Juventus captain Leonardo Bonucci has asserted that his team will have to put in a collective effort to stop the dreaded Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) frontline of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
Juventus are scheduled to visit the Parc des Princes for their UEFA Champions League Group H opener on Tuesday (September 6). The Bianconeri will go into the fixture on the back of a 1-1 draw at Fiorentina on Saturday, their third stalemate in five Serie A matches.
PSG, on the other hand, are currently in a rich vein of form. The Christophe Galtier-coached outfit are atop the Ligue 1 standings with 16 points from six games, scoring 24 goals in the process.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Bonucci shared his thoughts about facing the trio of Messi, Mbappe and Neymar. He also particularly lauded Mbappe. He told reporters (via Corrieire dello Sport):
“He’s a stratospheric player. He has everything to become the best player in the world. The future and age are on his side. I’m also sure that due to the mentality he has, the way he talks, he wants to grow.
“It will be tough playing against him, against Messi, against Neymar, against PSG itself. We need teamwork to stop them.”
While the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner has contributed three goals and six assists, the Brazilian has registered seven goals and six assists in Ligue 1 this season. Mbappe has netted seven times so far.
Speaking about the fixture, Bonucci continued:
“At the age of 35, the Champions League is a stimulus. I want to be an example and, as captain, to bring Juventus where it deserves together with the whole team. We must be ready for tomorrow. It will be a beautiful, complicated game. We must approach it with the right fun.”
Juventus will hope to become the second team after Monaco to stop PSG from registering a win in the ongoing 2022-23 season.
Juventus boss outlines plan to stop PSG’s Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar
Speaking ahead of his team’s UEFA Champions League opener, Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri spoke about how he hopes to stop PSG’s much-vaunted attacking troicka. He said (via Football Italia):
“We face a strong team, and it will be crucial to handle the ball well. Neymar, [Kylian] Mbappe and [Lionel] Messi are so strong that they find the position easily. We must be able to stop them when we don’t have the ball.”
The Old Lady have registered just two wins this season.
