Cristiano Ronaldo told Juventus supporters to “get ready to comeback” as the Bianconeri prepare to face Atletico Madrid, who take a 2-0 aggregate lead to Turin in the second leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie.
Juve have won three Serie A matches since they suffered defeat at the Wanda Metropolitano on a night when Ronaldo failed to shine against a club he knows well from his nine seasons in LaLiga with Real Madrid.
The 34-year-old was an unused substitute as Juventus beat Udinese 4-1 on Friday and he will be fresh and raring to go as he seeks his first goal since February 15 on Tuesday.
“These are the great nights, the fantastic ones: the Champions League nights,” Ronaldo told the club’s official website.
“The team is confident of playing a great game and I am too. We are ready to experience a special night, both on the field and in the stands.
“To the fans I say: think positive, let’s believe. It’s possible, but we need your help, because we’re going to do our job on the pitch and we need your support.
“Get ready to comeback!”
Atletico are second in LaLiga, seven points behind leaders Barcelona, but they are in excellent form as they push for silverware at home and in Europe.
Diego Simeone’s side have claimed victories over Villarreal, Real Sociedad and Leganes without conceding a goal since their first-leg win against Juventus.
Ronaldo insisted his team-mates would go into the game undaunted, saying: “Everyone knows that they are a strong team, they defend very well, they don’t take a lot of risks and they play on the counter-attack, but we are ready, and we will do everything we can to beat them.
“The fine details will make the difference, and we want to win and qualify for the quarter-finals.
“Football is like this, we didn’t expect to lose the first leg 2-0, but anything can happen, and we want to give a great response in our home, in front of our fans.
“We are having an excellent season and we now have two objectives: Serie A and the Champions League.”
