Marino expects Juve battle

Pasquale Marino does not believe Juventus are struggling ahead of the Genoa clash. “If they are unbeaten, there is a reason...”

The Bianconeri have fallen off the top of the table recently thanks to three consecutive stalemates and pay a visit to Marassi on Sunday afternoon.

“What does it feel like playing against a team that has not lost a single match? I’ll tell you on Sunday evening,” replied Coach Marino in his press conference.

“The draws must not lull us into a false sense of security, as if they are still unbeaten then there is a reason...

“Sides like Juve are always on a high level, so we must play and run as a unit, staying compact. Will the referees be affected by recent errors? No, I doubt it.

“Antonio Conte is in the stands due to a touchline ban, but I’d rather Andrea Pirlo was taken out of the game. You can only stop someone like Andrea with the sacrifice of our strikers.”

Alberto Gilardino is back from a long injury lay-off and could start along with Giuseppe Sculli and Rodrigo Palacio.

“We do not have any players with Gilardino’s characteristics in the squad, as he is useful in attack and when it comes to defending. His return is an important one that guarantees us some alternatives.

“We want to end this season on a high, as we do have the potential.”