Gatti and Perin: ‘Nobody can say Juventus lack character’
Federico Gatti and Mattia Perin are proud of another Juventus fightback, holding Roma to a 3-3 draw. ‘Nobody can say we lack character.’
It was clear this result could decide the Champions League qualification, so with this much at stake, it was full of quality and drama.
The Giallorossi had taken a 3-1 lead with Wesley’s curler, Evan Ndicka and the Donyell Malen lob, after a temporary Francisco Conceicao volley.
However, two very similar goals with flick-ons to the back post saw Jeremie Boga and Gatti get Juventus back on level terms in a 3-3 thriller.
Juventus don’t know when they are beaten
“I was worried that I would be offside, but it really was a very important goal and it keeps us hanging in there,” Gatti told DAZN Italia.
“There are 11 games to go and we are still in the race. A defeat here would’ve seen Roma go seven points clear, and it really would’ve been difficult then.
“It’s not just Roma, though, because Atalanta and Como are in the running too. We’ve got to improve a few things, but we’ve got our character to build on.”
Roma now slip down to fourth place and Juventus to sixth, as they are leapfrogged by Como in fifth, but the fight for the top four looks as if it will go down to the wire.
It is remarkably the second fightback in a few days for the Old Lady, who wiped out a 5-2 first leg deficit to Galatasaray in the Champions League play-off, despite being down to 10 men.
They won 3-2 on the night in extra time, eventually exiting the competition.
“We are certainly proving that we’ve got heart, soul and character,” added goalkeeper Perin.
“If we manage to convert more of our chances when we’re on top, then we wouldn’t need all these comebacks. People can criticise anything about us, but nobody can say we lack character.”