Juve, now the Champions League: the atmosphere in the locker room and the return to the formation

Thiago Motta's team already on the pitch yesterday morning: it's time to prepare for the debut against PSV

At Continassa , the next day, there are no long faces. The goalless draw at Empoli has left an inevitable bitter aftertaste, but there is no trace of discouragement in the group. Enthusiasm is one of the distinctive features of the young and fresh team, in the hands of Thiago Motta , a wind increased by the first two, convincing, successes obtained in the championship in August. And a dull afternoon in mid-September cannot be enough to undermine the convictions matured in the summer. Even more so if, around the corner, there is the always suggestive appointment with the Champions League , a gallant encounter that, in Turin, has been awaited for two years now. At the final whistle of the Castellani-Computer Gross Arena, Juventus immediately returned to Turin.

Juve, here's the Champions League again

And yesterday morning, at Continassa , the short march towards the European debut against PSV tomorrow began : the usual unwinding for the starters from the day before, technical and athletic work for everyone else. Today, still in the morning, a dress rehearsal for the 18:45 match at the Stadium, so – indeed – it will already be time to return to the field. According to a busy schedule of commitments that will be repeated with a certain consistency during the Juventus season. The occasion will be propitious to begin to understand the management of forces and the rotation of the interpreters in the mind of Thiago Motta, who professes to always and only focus on the single match, also because the Italian-Brazilian coach does not yet have an experience of this type behind him.

What's new for Juve-Psv

The sensations filtering from the Juventus headquarters tell of a big rise in the odds for Di Gregorio between the posts, obviously, and also for Thuram in midfield, after the dress rehearsal in Empoli after returning from injury. And Danilo could also find space on the international stage , still stuck in the final stretch in Verona. Today's training session will be precious, for the entire technical staff, in order to draw indications on who could have a good impact in the match against PSV and who, instead, could have an impact during the game, also on the basis of recovery from the last efforts and athletic parameters, given that before the 90' ​​in Tuscany many were busy with the national team. The path, in any case, is mapped out. And it is no coincidence that the path was the most used metaphor in the comments in front of the cameras or on social media after the 0-0 in Empoli. The extreme synthesis "wrong result, but right path" was used by many in the post-match on Saturday.

And it has been metabolized by everyone, already upon returning to the tunnel to the locker rooms. The belief that they have just taken a path, and that above all it is the right path, is in the minds of all those involved at Continassa, also because Thiago Motta expressed clear concepts in the summer and worked on the minds of his boys. Who are responding with enthusiasm, indeed, and with great application. The great ex Adrien Rabiot , meanwhile, after the statements on Saturday by his mother-agent Véronique, is one step away from returning to the field: principle of agreement with Olympique Marseille coached by De Zerbi .