Fonseca claims Juventus ‘better’ than Real Madrid in one aspect | OneFootball

Milan coach Paulo Fonseca claims that Juventus are ‘better’ than Real Madrid in terms of the defensive element of their game, and has doubled down on his opinion that it is tougher to motivate his players for Serie A matches against teams like Cagliari than it is for big clashes against the likes of the Bianconeri or Los Blancos.

Milan will host Juventus in San Siro on Sunday evening, as domestic action returns this weekend following the recent international break.

Some of Milan’s best performances under Fonseca have come against the ‘top’ sides, including an against-the-odds 2-1 Derby della Madonnina victory over Inter and a memorable 3-1 win away against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Malick Thiaw of AC Milan (obscured) scores his team’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD4 match between Real Madrid C.F. and AC Milan at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on November 05, 2024 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Fonseca has explained that it is ‘natural’ that his players feel up for the big games against the likes of Inter, Juventus and Madrid, but has suggested on multiple occasions that it is difficult to find the same level of motivation against ‘smaller’ Serie A sides.

Fonseca: ‘I think Juventus are stronger than Real Madrid defensively’

“I don’t feel pressure for this type of game (against Juventus), it’s a question of motivation,” Fonseca said during his pre-match press conference.

“It’s easy to understand that the players are motivated against Inter, Juve, Real Madrid, it’s more difficult to go to Cagliari and have that same desire.”

Asked if he would deploy similar tactics to the game away against Madrid, Fonseca replied: “I think it will be a different game. I think Juve are stronger than Real Madrid defensively. They defend better as a team.”