Juventus vs Bayern Munich - Vidal has mixed feelings ahead of Turin return

Posted Monday, February 22, 2016 by PA

Bayern Munich midfielder Arturo Vidal has admitted to having mixed feelings about Tuesday night's Champions League trip to Turin.

The Chilean comes up against his former club Juventus for the first time since leaving them last summer and admits he would rather not have to face the Bianconeri yet.

"It's a very special game for me because I'm very grateful to Juve and I still have a lot of affection for them," Vidal told Sport1.de.

"I had four incredible years there and felt at home there - the fans and people loved me and I loved them because they always supported me.

"I would have preferred to have met Juventus only in the semi-final or final because I still have a lot of affection for this club.

"I follow practically all of their games because I like Italian football. I wasn't happy with the draw, but that's football."

Vidal insists he is devoted to the Bayern cause and hopes to beat Juve, but he will have a warning for his team-mates not to expect it to be a walkover.

The Bundesliga club beat Shakhtar Donetsk 7-0 at the same stage of the competition last season, but Juventus are a different prospect with one man in particular concerning Vidal: Paul Pogba.

"He's going to be one of the best midfielders in the world," Vidal said.

"Games like these, in the last 16 of the Champions League, will help him grow. He's already a much better player than he was last year.

"But Juventus also have other dangerous players, like (Paulo) Dybala, who is playing very well, as are (Mario) Mandzukic and (Alvaro) Morata.

"They've got some really dangerous players we have got to watch out for."

Bayern will nevertheless be regarded as favourites, having beaten Juve 2-0 home and away the last time these two teams met at the quarter-final stage three seasons ago.

The Bavarians scored more than any other side in the group stage, with 19 goals, while they conceded only three.

Juve also only let in three, but they scored just six on their way to the last 16.

The Bianconeri have hit form in Serie A, however, with a recent 15-game winning streak taking them to the top of the standings for the first time this season.

"I'm pleased for them, but it's a different story in the Champions League," Vidal said. "The opponents are tougher in Europe and it's going to be a much harder game for them against us than in Italy."

Bayern will once again have a makeshift defence with Serdar Tasci set to take his Champions League bow for the season while former Roma defender Medhi Benatia could return from injury with Javi Martinez, Jerome Boateng and Holger Badstuber ruled out.

Giorgio Chiellini is Juve's only absentee, with Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli - a Bundesliga winner with Wolfsburg in 2009 - set to start at the heart of their defence, faced with one of Europe's most prolific attacks of Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller.