As Juventus prepare for a difficult but decisive Champions League play-off second leg against Galatasaray, former Bianconeri winger Federico Bernardeschi has spoken to Prime Video about the mindset required for a comeback — recalling one of the club’s most memorable nights in Europe: the 2019 turnaround against Atlético Madrid.
The Bianconeri face the daunting task of overturning a 5–2 deficit from the first leg in Istanbul. Luciano Spalletti’s side welcome key returns, with Kenan Yildiz and Gleison Bremer both back in contention — though the Turkish forward appears more likely to start than the Brazilian. Juventus need an exceptional performance at the Allianz Stadium to dream of another historic recovery.
“A comeback is something you must feel inside”
Reflecting on that unforgettable night against Atlético Madrid, Bernardeschi shared his view of what it takes to produce such a performance.
“A comeback is something you must feel inside — you really have to believe in it,” he said. “Many factors have to come together, but the first thing is the awareness that you can actually do it.”
He recalled the emotions leading up to that match in 2019: “After the first game there’s anger, pride, and a wound to your ego that makes you bring out something extra. None of us could wait to get on the pitch and release what we had inside. I never felt fear of failure in that situation — the closer the game got, the more alive I felt. We had that certainty that we could turn it around. When you hurt a team of champions in their pride, they always respond. We even managed to make them nervous.”
Bernardeschi also underlined the importance of an early breakthrough. “The hardest part was unlocking the game,” he added, “but there was also a calmness in knowing we could score even in the last minute.”
A message to the current Juventus squad
Turning his attention to the present-day team, Bernardeschi offered a few words of encouragement.
“They shouldn’t think about solving everything straight away — it’s about taking the first step,” he advised. “Once you do that, you can take the second and the third. The key player can be Kenan; he has that something extra that can make the difference. Every player needs to give everything they have for their teammates.”
