Juventus march on

March 19, 2000
Juventus Official Site

Alessandro Del Piero, speaking after Juventus' 3-2 derby victory, commented that the Bianconeri's win was even sweeter after hearing other clubs' results. Del Piero said he was surprised by Torino's poor performance, but that he and his fellow team-mates could not count their chickens just yet. "We must be realistic," he declared. "We have a huge advantage over the other title contenders, but we cannot say we have won yet. We still have a few fixtures against some of the clubs still in the running for the title and if we do not play our cards right, the title could be up for grabs again. I was not expecting to have such a good day and on hearing the results of other clubs today, I felt even better. Compared to the match in the first half of the season there was more play and fewer fouls. Perhaps it was the goals that gave a different complexion to the match, which was still a very physical encounter. In terms of the Scudetto battle, we can say that we are where we are because we have shown greater consistency than our rivals, and have shown our desire for victory on the pitch itself. As for the two penalties, they haven't given others against us because we have a great defence."

Ciro Ferrara was disappointed that he was unable to claim the credit for the goal, but there was a clear Gianluigi Lentini deflection. The Neapolitan defender was happy nonetheless - how could he not be with Juve extending their lead at the head of the table. "Today two penalty decisions went against us, which as you say is a novelty. If we haven't given any away before it's simply because we don't usually allow the opposition into the box. Fortunately, although we had two go against us in one game, it didn't change the final result. I've learnt from experience that you can never relax, but our morale is high and it will be tough for those chasing us. The others have slipped up - so this week is important, but not decisive."

The Torino old boy, Gianluca Pessotto, claimed that it was Juve's grit and determination that brought all three valuable points. "We were here to win, with our usual desire and with great determination. We got what we wanted in the derby, which when it goes your way, it is a great boost for morale and self-belief. There are still a number of important matches, but we know that only we can lose this Scudetto. So we must play each match as though it were a final."
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