Juventus happy to avoid Champions League derby against Milan | OneFootball

Juventus director Gianluca Pessotto says the Bianconeri are happy to avoid an Italian derby against Milan in the Champions League and insists the team must ‘come together’ to overcome difficulties.

The Bianconeri have been paired with PSV in the Champions League knockout playoff, avoiding a possible Serie A derby with domestic rivals Milan.

“Certainly, it’s nice to avoid a derby because this way, we have the opportunity to see two Italian teams in the next round, which wouldn’t be bad,” Pessotto told Sky Sport via TuttoJuve.

Juventus already met PSV in the league phase, winning 3-1 on their debut in this season’s competition in September.

Juventus happy to avoid Champions League derby against Milan

NAPLES, ITALY – JANUARY 25: Randal Kolo Muani of Juventus celebrates after scoring his side first goal during the Serie A match between Napoli and Juventus at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on January 25, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

“We played against PSV in the first match, so months have passed, and today it will be another match, and we have to approach it well, confidently and convinced that we can make it through to the next round and, most importantly, arrive in the best possible condition for these two matches,” said Pessotto.

The Bianconeri have lost back-to-back games against Napoli and Benfica and need to bounce back starting from the next league game against Empoli.

“Juventus must have confidence in what we do, in the value of our players and in the many good things that have been done,” argued the ex-Juventus defender.

“The mistakes that were made should not be repeated. We must come together in moments of difficulty and all be united towards a single direction. These are the solutions: eliminating those errors that prevented us from achieving the results and exploiting your qualities.”

The Bianconeri have won just one game from seven in 2025 and are currently outside the top four.

“At the beginning, we were at full strength, and there was great enthusiasm,” continued Pessotto.

“Then, a few too many injuries meant that the team and many players in particular had to play with great continuity, and at times, a bit of freshness was lacking. So, the path afterwards has been a bit inconsistent, but I repeat, in my opinion, the team must have confidence. It is a young team, and as the coach said, it needs to grow in experience, and it must especially believe in what it is doing and where it wants to go.”

Juventus were not a seeded team in the Champions League draw today, so they will play the second leg away. UEFA will release the dates and times for the knockout playoff games later today.