I know Juventus have a matter to deal with this Sunday in Florence. Those pesky people eaters otherwise known as Fiorentina are one tough nut to crack, team to beat, whatever you want to call it. Sunday's game is important for a multitude of reasons, not just because it's against a very competitive side coached by a very good manager.
But there's just something that can't stop sneaking into my head. Or, better yet, something that's occupying the football-related side of my brain.
Oh, that's right. It's the game that's after Sunday's game. The one with European implications — big, giant, important ones.
Ya know, Juventus vs. Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid. I hear that place is pretty famous. That sounds like a matchup you'd hear about in the knockout rounds when the number of teams still alive is in single digits, not the third group game that's being played in third week of October. Damn Champions League draw...
It is a big-time Champions League clash, as we all know. The history — both on the European stage and domestically — between the two clubs speaks for itself. It is a game that can potentially get Juve back on the right track. Why? Because it's one of the biggest stages they will play on this season. That's enough motivation right there to have one of your best games of the season — no matter what.
Or, it can go terribly wrong and this little funk Juventus entered the international break on will be put under the magnifying glass even that much more than they were when actual games were going on.
But, dammit, I don't want to think that way, you guys. It could be a Code 5 Freakout situation come next Wednesday when the final whistles blows, or it could be Juventus doing what they did when Chelsea came to Turin a year ago and they show us a thing or two about what kind of team they are. You know how this team has risen to the occasion when it comes to being on a big stage during Antonio Conte's time as manager.
All I know is this: When the countdown clock hits zero and we're trying to find some place to watch the day's Champions League action seven days from now, Juventus will be in Madrid for a very important game that could play a significant role in the shaping of their season. No pressure, right?