Monday, November 22, 2021 at 3:04 PM• Dominic Mostert • Last update: 15:06

Matthijs de Ligt is looking forward to Tuesday evening’s Champions League match between Chelsea and Juventus. The Serie A superpower has already secured a place in the next round after four consecutive wins, but can also claim the group win via a draw in London. “It’s nice to play such matches,” De Ligt said at the press conference prior to the Stamford Bridge squatter. He ignores questions about a possible contract extension.

“We have to be solid and calm, because they have a lot of quality and are dangerous on the counter,” says De Ligt. “We want to finish at the top of the group, that’s very important for us.” The defender is then specifically asked about the differences he experiences between matches in Serie A and in the Champions League. “In Serie A we get a little less space in the counterattack against smaller teams than in the Champions League. We have good, fast players like Federico Chiesa and Alvaro Morata who can take advantage of the space, so we have to do that.”

Trainer Massimiliano Allegri speaks of an ‘important test’ for Juventus against ‘the team that won the Champions League last season’. He thinks it is important to know whether Romelu Lukaku will be available for Chelsea. The striker suffered an ankle injury a month ago and is now training again. It is currently expected that Tuesday evening’s game will come just too early. “He’s a top player, a Chelsea face. When he’s not there, Chelsea plays more on speed,” said Allegri. “It depends on him how the opponent defends in a game against Chelsea.”

De Ligt has already reached the semi-finals of the Champions League with Ajax and hopes to win the prize in the service of Juventus. “It is a dream to win this prize with this club. That applies not only to me, but to everyone. We are getting better every game and we want to continue our development,” the the Dutch international makes clear. If he gets a question about his contract – according to Tuttosport Mino Raiola is negotiating with Juventus about a new contract until mid-2025 – he also points out the sporting situation. “At the moment my focus is on my duties on the pitch. I want to contribute and I want to help the team rise in the rankings.” De Ligt’s current contract expires in mid-2024.