Since the victory over Inter on February 26, 2023, Thiago Motta has not only remained unbeaten in February but has also won all ten matches played in that month over the past two years, with a goal difference of 24-6. Italian media have given Motta the nickname “The February Magician” due to this impressive streak of positive results at Bologna and now Juventus.It’s Matchday! 🔥🥊 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 3⃣ 🏆 @ChampionsLeague🆚 @PSV🏙️ Eindhoven⏰ 21:00 CET📲 #PSVJuve pic.twitter.com/L4IWeRPz1S— JuventusFC 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@juventusfcen) February 19, 2025 After Italian football’s “Black Tuesday” in the Champions League, Serie A needs a touch of magic and a sporting miracle to secure five spots in next season’s most prestigious competition through UEFA rankings. Of course, there’s still the possibility that Lazio or Roma could qualify for the Champions League by winning the Europa League.Motta has labeled tonight’s match as the most important of Juventus’ season. Interestingly, the Bianconeri coach stated that his team would not play for a draw because they “don’t know how to do that.” This response was directed at his critics, emphasizing that Juve’s record number of draws this season was a coincidence rather than a deliberate tactical approach.🎙️ #ThiagoMotta pre PSVJuve: “For us it’s an opportunity not to be missed, it’s definitely the most important match of the season so far, because if we lose we’ll be out of the competition. We took the first step in Turin, but it’s not enough.” pic.twitter.com/1pfPNKWrZU— Around Turin (@AroundTurin) February 18, 2025 “We need to learn to control the tempo of matches and impose it on our opponents for the full 90 minutes. Another key aspect is team compactness. We have to press high, attack, and defend with tight lines,” Italian strategist explained.He continues to rotate his starting lineup, and tonight against PSV, Juventus is expected to field its 35th different lineup in as many matches.Tradition and statistics favor Juventus. In the five previous instances where Juve won the first leg 2-1, they have always advanced (three times in the Champions League and twice in the UEFA Cup).It’s interesting that Juventus will play in Eindhoven with their youngest lineup in the last 30 years.The most talked-about player in ItalyJuventus’ famous motto, “Winning isn’t important, it’s the only thing that matters,” could be slightly modified tonight, considering that a draw would be almost as good as a win. While Juve only needs a draw to advance, Italy needs a victory to keep alive the hope of securing a fifth Champions League spot.UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – PLAYOFFSReturn legTuesdayMilan – Feyenoord 1-1 (0-1)/Gimenez 1 – Carranza 73/Feyenoord win 2-1 on aggAtalanta – Club Brugge 1-3 (0-3)/Talbi 3, 27, Jutgla 45+3 – Lookman 46/Brugge win 5-2 on aggBayern – Celtic 1-1 (0-0)/Kuhn 63 – Davies 90+4/Bayern win 3-2 on aggBenfica – Monaco 3-3 (1-1)/Akturkoglu 22, Pavlidis 76 pen, Kokcu 84 – Minamino 32, Ben Seghir 51, Ilenikhena 81/Benfica win 4-3 on aggWednesday 20.45: (1.95) Dortmund (3.50) Sporting (3.90)23.00: (1.18) PSG (7.25) Brest (15.0)23.00: (2.30) PSV (3.45) Juventus (3.05)23.00: (1.85) Real Madrid (3.80) Man.City (4.00)***odds are subject to change***
