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Van Gaal vaunts Bayern pedigree

FC Bayern München coach Louis van Gaal moved quickly to remind Juventus that his illustrious side "can beat every team" as they geared up for their must-win Group A decider in Turin on Tuesday.

Van Gaal vaunts Bayern pedigree
Van Gaal vaunts Bayern pedigree ©UEFA.com

One of Europe's most illustrious clubs is destined to fall by the wayside in Turin on Tuesday when Juventus set out to claim the point they need to send visitors FC Bayern München tumbling out of the competition. Victory alone will suffice for the Bundesliga side to join Group A winners FC Girondins de Bordeaux in the last 16 and coach Louis van Gaal reminded Juve that his charges "can beat every team". The Bianconeri come into the game with confidence high following Saturday's 2-1 win over Serie A leaders FC Internazionale Milano and coach Ciro Ferrara promises his players will not set out for a draw.

Ciro Ferrara, Juventus coach
This game is more important than the one against Inter because it's like a final for us and Bayern. We cannot play for the draw because that is not the mentality of a team like Juve. Only victory will do for Bayern and they have many players who can cause us trouble. I don't think they will start at full pelt from kick-off. They are a great side and they are used to playing these kind of games. They will try to hurt us when they have the chance. I expect Bayern to start with Robben because he has recovered from injury. I would be satisfied to see the same performance as the game against Inter. I would like to see the same spirit, the same level of concentration and desire to win. We need to take a further step to keep our level of performance high. A bad game now and then can happen, but we have to reduce them if we want to win titles.

Louis van Gaal, Bayern coach
We definitely have a chance. There is one big difference between Juventus and ourselves: we have to win whereas for them a draw is enough, so we have strong motivation. Juventus won a difficult match against Inter which has given them confidence as a win is always important for every team. I can't say I'm satisfied with Bayern's results. I thought the squad would improve quicker than it has, but we've suffered a lot of injuries this season and there are many new players in the team. If we beat Juve and win the next two or three games I'll be much more satisfied with how the season has gone. We are Bayern, so we can beat every team, but at the same time we can lose against anyone. We got a win in our last [Bundesliga] match, so our confidence is high.

Weekend results
05/12/09 Juventus 2-1 FC Internazionale Milano
(Chiellini 20, Marchisio 58; Eto'o 26)

• Victory ended a two game losing streak for Juve, including the 2-0 reverse at FC Girondins de Bordeaux on Matchday 5, and took them to within five points of leaders Inter.

04/12/09 Bayern 2-1 VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach
(Gómez 19, Badstuber 75; Brouwers 28)

• Defender Holger Badstuber proved the hero for Bayern, the 20-year old curling in a 75th-minute free-kick winner. Roel Brouwers had earlier cancelled out Mario Gómez's opener.

• The German Under-21 international's first Bundesliga goal earned Bayern their second consecutive championship success and a third straight win in all competitions – their longest run of victories since 22 September.

Team news
Juventus
Out: Giorgio Chiellini (thigh), Jonathan Zebina (thigh), Vincenzo Iaquinta (meniscus), Mohamed Sissoko (thigh)
Doubtful: Gianluigi Buffon (meniscus), Hasan Salihamidžić (ankle)
Suspended: none
Misses next match if booked: Mauro Camoranesi, Felipe Melo

• Ferrara said: "It's a pity not to have Chiellini because he was in great form. However I fully trust Legrottaglie. Trezeguet is available to play from the first minute."

Bayern
Out: Franck Ribéry (knee), Luca Toni (groin), Hamit Altıntop (calf), Miroslav Klose (elbow)
Doubtful: Arjen Robben (knee), Daniel Van Buyten (eye)
Suspended: none
Misses next match if booked: none

• Robben returned to the fray against Mönchengladbach, coming off the bench in the second half. "Robben is fit, but I'll decide whether to start him or not after the last training session, as I always do," said Van Gaal.

• Van Buyten picked up an eye injury in that same match. "The medical staff say there's no fracture, but he has a swollen eye," explained Van Gaal.

Background
• Juventus are unbeaten in 16 home games in the UEFA Champions League. The Bianconeri suffered their last home reverse in Europe when losing 1-0 to RC Deportivo La Coruña in the first knockout round in 2003/04. Their defensive record in this time has been formidable with eleven clean sheets and just six goals conceded.

• Bayern travel to Italy with a strong recent record away from home in the UEFA Champions League – their last 12 fixtures have produced six wins, three draws and three defeats.

Did you know?
The historical omens do not favour Bayern – they were beaten on their two previous trips to Turin and coach Van Gaal once lost a UEFA Champions League final against Juventus.

For more information on the match in the official press kit, click here.