Mauricio Pochettino has said that he “never doubted” midfielder Dele Alli.
“He’s got enormous quality and I’ve never doubted him,” Pochettino said. “You’ve got to be patient with players and sometimes they need a rest, while you’ve got to expect one or two mistakes too.”
“I thought ‘at last, I’m going to go see my roots,'” he said. “I’ve been to Italy many times, but never to Piedmont. Given there won’t be much time, I’m not going to be able to visit the area where my great-grandfather’s from, but I will get to breathe the Turin air.
“I never had any real illusions about the draw — when you’re in the last 16, it’s only logical that you’re going to face difficult opponents. Juventus are the top — they’ve been in two of the past three finals.”
Asked if there is advantage to play the second leg at Wembley, he said: “I don’t think so. In European games, being home or away makes little difference. These ties last 180 minutes and it’s going to be a real battle against Juve.
“We’re a month-and-a-half away and a lot of things can happen, but we have started to give it some thought.”
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