Ahead of Wednesday night’s Champions League game against Aston Villa, Juventus head coach Thiago Motta and all-rounder Andrea Cambiaso sat down to discuss team dynamics, tactics and more. Juve – who played a 1-1 draw against French club Lille in their last Champions League game – sit top of the playoff places in the new league phase in 11th place and will be looking to beat Unai Emery’s side to make a mark.

However, just like against Milan at the weekend, the Bianconeri have to deal with a severely undermanned squad. Plagued by injuries, Juventus traveled to Birmingham, England with only 17 players, including three goalkeepers.

Still, Cambiaso – who has emerged as one of the team’s leaders this season – was unimpressed by the size of the squad, saying: “We are a small squad, we are aware of that, but everyone is fully available to the coach. “. We know that injuries are an integral part of our work.”

Motta echoed those sentiments.

“(On Wednesday) we’re going to play a great team,” he said. “(Aston Villa) is a team that is in good form, especially in this competition. We will go into the game with great humility, determined to play our game and, as always, with respect for the opponent. I am always positive, I have a lot of trust in my players, who show every day that they are ready to compete and give everything.”

Motta and Cambiaso also spoke about the new Champions League format, in particular how the league phase has changed their approach to games and what kind of team growth it has brought about.

“I like it because you have the opportunity to play against different teams and can therefore prepare differently for each game,” said Motta. “You face more opponents who have different football ideologies than you and that aspect helps you a lot to develop as a team.”

Furthermore, Motta claimed that playing against different top coaches such as Emery helped him develop personally.

“Like all the coaches I’ve had, I tried to listen to him and learn from him,” Motta said. “His career is well documented. He is a coach who has been at a high level for a long time, he deserves it because he has always been consistent in his work and continues to reap the fruits of his efforts.”

Regarding the new system, Cambiaso said: “The challenge against Aston Villa will have the same importance as the first four teams we faced.” There is no game that is more important than the others, they all count towards qualifying for the Knockout phase.”

Still, Aston Villa will be one of the more difficult teams Juventus have faced so far. The Villans are well positioned in the table and have won three of their four Champions League games, including a 2-0 win over German giants Bayern Munich.

“Tomorrow we will face a strong team in this regard and we need to be calm and focused throughout the game,” Cambiaso said. “The game in Birmingham will feature two teams who want to play their style. It will be a good game.”

Motta also reiterated the need to remain firm in his tactics, proclaiming: “We are going to play against a team that is very good in transition.” We will not be able to give space to their midfielders, we have to play both in defense and in attack work together. Tomorrow, being the first to get the loose balls could play a very important role in the game.”

Finally, Motta spoke briefly about the starting lineup, particularly who will replace the injured talisman Dusan Vlahovic at the front of the field. One of the names that has emerged is Timothy Weah, who has impressed with his recent goalscoring performance.

“If Timothy plays in the middle of the attack tomorrow night, I’m sure he’ll put in a great performance,” Motta said. “And the same goes for anyone who takes that position on the field.”