Ferrara wants Juve to get back on track

Having gone more than a month without a victory, Ciro Ferrara is looking for a change of fortune as Juventus take on Maccabi Haifa FC in the first of two successive matches between the bottom two clubs in Group A. The Turin side can take confidence from an unbeaten home run in the UEFA Champions League stretching to 15 games, while the Israeli team are yet to win on their travels in the competition.

Ciro Ferrara, Juventus coach
Maccabi deserve our respect. They played a good first half against Bayern, and performed well against Bordeaux, only losing in the last ten minutes. We drew our first home game and need three points because you don't get many chances to recover in the Champions League. This is an unusual time as it's strange for Juventus to go a whole month without a win – our target is to reverse this trend as soon as possible. The players are working hard and want to get back on track. I don't think our situation can be considered disastrous. We changed our way of playing during the summer. I think we made the biggest tactical changes in Italy so it's normal to have some difficulties during the season. The team lack confidence at times and playing the right way becomes difficult.

Elisha Levi, Haifa coach
Even though we're still without a point, I don't think we deserve to be bottom of the group. We're playing very well in the Israeli championship, and will go out to play our usual game and try to get a result against a great team. We know all about Juve's strengths but still hope for a positive outcome. Juve can field a number of talented players and the likes of Iaquinta, Amauri and Diego are all dangerous but we aren't afraid of anyone in particular. Our club has an attacking philosophy and we'll play our football like we did against Bayern and Bordeaux. We can play one or two up front, and we know that if we want to win then we have to take risks. Yaniv Katan still has flu and we'll have to do without Eyal Golasa, another important player.

Weekend results
17/10/09 Juventus 1-1ACF Fiorentina
(Amauri 19; Vargas 5)

• Amauri's first goal in eight months could not stop the Bianconeri's winless run being extended to five matches in all competitions.

17/10/09 Hapoel Beer-Sheva FC1-3 Maccabi
(Kadousi 17; Dvalishvili 10 70, Arbeitman 27)

• Maccabi are 18 games unbeaten in Ligat Ha'Al since a 1-0 defeat at Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona FC on 28 February.

• Haifa have claimed maximum points from their first six league outings for the first time since 2005/06. That season, they would win their opening eleven fixtures en route to the title.

Team news
Juventus
Out: Hasan Salihamidžić (ankle, knee), Tiago (thigh), Alessandro Del Piero (left thigh), Claudio Marchisio (right knee)
Doubtful: none
Suspended: none
Misses next match if booked: none

Haifa
Out: Eyal Golasa (hip), Amir Edri (shoulder)
Doubtful: Yaniv Katan (flu)
Suspended: Baram Kayal
Misses next match if booked: none

Background
• This will be the clubs' first encounter but Juventus have met Israeli opposition before, winning 1-0 at home and drawing 1-1 away against Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC in the 2004/05 group stage.

• Juventus's 1-1 draw with FC Girondins de Bordeaux on Matchday 1 stretched their unbeaten sequence at home in the UEFA Champions League proper to 15 matches. They have won ten and drawn five in Turin since a 1-0 defeat by RC Deportivo La Coruña in March 2004.

• Following their 1-0 loss at Bordeaux last time out, Haifa are still seeking a first away victory in the UEFA Champions League group stage after four attempts.

Did you know?
Juve forward David Trezeguet has scored all three times he has faced Israel on the international stage with France.