TUDOR: WE ARE EXPECTING A DIFFICULT MATCH | OneFootball

“First and foremost, let me congratulate Juventus Women, who have won their sixth Scudetto in eight years. This is a great achievement. A round of applause to everyone involved; the players, the staff, and the coach. Great job!”

This is how Tudor’s press conference began ahead of the now-postponed Parma vs Juventus, before then focusing on the match which is now scheduled for Wednesday, 23 April at 18:30 CEST.

“We've had a long week of work which is a positive thing. We've pushed hard to prepare ourselves as best we can for all the pitfalls that a team doing well can present. We're expecting a difficult match. In terms of injuries, as well as Samuel Mbangula and Federico Gatti, we've had a few minor issues with Kenan Yildiz (bruising) and Teun Koopmeiners (Achilles tendon). We'll assess both of them tomorrow, but Teun’s presence in particular is in doubt.

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR

“Set pieces? Clearly this is a focus for us, but it bears repeating that it’s a physiological issue as well. We’re lacking a bit of experience and possibly a bit of guile, and we risk paying for this on smaller details like set pieces. We're working to accelerate growth and the boys are aware of this and willing to do what needs to be done. In general, I see that the team is growing, increasing intensity in defence, especially when defending high up the pitch. But the positive thing is that there's a desire to be aggressive in our compactness. I’m expecting a serious game in which we will do what we’ve practiced. Parma showed us against Inter that they are a team to pay close attention to, we mustn't make any mistakes because they deserved that 2-2 draw.

PLAYER FOCUS

Dusan Vlahovic’s input is always that to stay in the game, no matter what happens. He's a complete player, his two assists showed us that. The whole team appreciated them and a goal is on its way. As for Nico Gonzalez, he's a cheerful guy, eager, he loves football and being part of the team. He has a positive mentality which is good for everyone, he can play in two or three positions and also has room for improvement: it's great to have a guy like him in the team. Renato Veiga is a quick-thinking player: he has a great future ahead of him, and that future is in his hands alone.

LIFE AS A COACH

“‘Caretaker’ is a word that I don't like. The life of a coach is often decided in just a few games, in solitude with little forward planning because the future is built game-by-game. And that's how I like to live, learning lessons from the past and then leaving it behind with no anxiety about what’s to come.”