Pavlovic: Juventus Can Not Only Fight for Champions League Qualification but Also Aim Higher

In an interview with Tuttosport, Pavlovic said that Juventus can not only compete for a Champions League place but also have the opportunity to pursue higher goals. The two sides will meet in their first major clash of the season.

Speaking about last season's two 0-0 draws between Juventus and AC Milan, Pavlovic said: "Those were two different 0-0 draws. We should have got more in Turin, we missed a penalty, and Leao had two excellent chances. The second leg was completely different; it was a very poor 0-0. In any case, this will be a very difficult match. Juventus are a good team. In my opinion, they can not only compete with us for a Champions League place, but also aim for higher goals. Now six or seven teams have a chance to win the title. Inter Milan are the favorites, but it will be a great competition. This is also one of the beautiful things about Italian football: we are no longer like 20 or 30 years ago, when Serie A was what the Premier League is today. English teams have more financial resources, and it is difficult to compete with them, but in my opinion, the Italian league is right behind them. It is more balanced here and upsets are more likely to happen; while in Spain, France and Germany, it is always the same familiar teams winning the title."

Asked which Juventus player he fears most, Pavlovic said: "Conceicao is very difficult to contain. He is fast and can shoot with both feet. However, I think this year he will be marked more often by Bartesaghi or Estupinan. I really like Bremer and Lucumi; they are among the best defenders in the league."

Speaking about Milan's new signings, Pavlovic said: "Mario has impressed me a lot. He is as strong as Ramos. I will get to know the others soon as well. However, I want to especially mention Sise: he has really surprised me. He is still very young, but he looks like someone who has already played 200 matches in Serie A."

Speaking about club owner Cardinale's support, Pavlovic said: "It is always a good thing for the owner to be this close to the team. We have spoken with him many times, and you can see that he is happy and excited. He has a lot of drive, wants to personally be part of this experience, and does not want to see another season like the one we had last year. He wants to win just like we do. We want to achieve good results in the league, and we also want to do our best to go all the way in the Europa League, because we are AC Milan."