Valencia manager Marcelino García Toral has said his team does not "fear" Portuguese star striker Cristiano Ronaldo, though he admitted that containing him will be a “big step” toward defeating Juventus.
"The word ‘fear’ is not appropriate, we all have fears in life, but not in our work and in what we want to do," Marcelino told reporters, discussing his club’s upcoming clash with Ronaldo’s Juventus.
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Meanwhile, club captain Dani Parejo said, "Cristiano is a very important player for them [Juventus], but let’s not focus on his return [to Spain.]"
He said his side intend to “limit” Juventus’ strengths while amplifying their own, adding that they know Ronaldo’s quality and playing style.
"…but for us, it’s [Ronaldo’s quality] not important."
Ronaldo opened his Juventus scoring account during the second half of Sunday’s game against Sassuolo, bagging a brace, though he missed two other gilt-edged opportunities from close range.
Wednesday’s fixture will be the opening match for both Valencia and Juventus in their respective UEFA Champions League campaigns, with both sides hoping to advance past the group stage.
Juventus currently occupy first place in the Serie A standings, scoring maximum points from their opening three matches, despite some difficult moments, and are looking to achieve their seventh consecutive scudetto.
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