by Gleison Bremer said his Juventus teammates have vowed to ignore the bianconeri’s off-pitch problems after scoring the game-winning goal in Thursday’s Coppa Italia quarterfinal against Lazio.
Bremer deflected Filip Kostic’s cross home with a header on the stroke of halftime as Juve secured a 1-0 win over the Biancocelesti, setting up a semi-final tie against Inter.
The victory provided welcome relief for a team that sits 13th in Serie A after receiving a 15-point deduction last month, a penalty that has been compounded by a three-game winless run in the league.
Speaking after his goal sent Juve to their eighth Coppa Italia semi-final in nine seasons, Bremer admitted that off-pitch problems had plagued the team in recent weeks, but revealed the team’s promise to rediscover their approach. .
“I’m happy with this goal, but it was important to go through at this moment,” the Brazilian international told Mediaset.
“We know that we have played two games not up to par, but we talk to each other and what happens off the field cannot happen on the field. The club will take care of it, we will take care of the field.
“Juventus is a top-level team, let’s score as many points as possible and see where we will be at the end of the championship.
“At the beginning of the year we lost something, then we talked and we found each other.”
Since the Coppa Italia quarter-finals turned into one-legged fixtures in the 2008-09 season, Juve have won nine of their 10 such matches at home, the lone exception being a 2011 loss to the Rome.
Coach Massimiliano Allegri praised Juve’s mentality after the hard-fought win, noting the improvements made since Sunday’s shock loss to Monza.
“The most important thing is the attitude, which was lacking in the first half against Monza, where we conceded two easy goals,” Allegri said.
“The boys were good. They are responsible. They must understand that to win games, in addition to tactics and technique, you need the right spirit.
“Today we won a lot of tickets, we were first in the duels, we defended well and we played with order and patience in the face of good pressure from Lazio.”
Juventus were without Paul Pogba for victory on Thursday, and the midfielder saw his second debut for the club delayed yet again after picking up another minor injury.
Allegri does not expect him to return against Salernitana on Tuesday, saying: “Pogba is unlikely to be available in Salerno, because he has been doing little or nothing for a week. We hope to have him back as soon as possible because he is a player to be reckoned with.
“I’ve been in the world of football for 50 years. When things go against you, then you have to be patient to get ahead.”
