Buffon challenges Juve to prove worth

Gianluigi Buffon has called on Juventus to prove they are "real champions" by putting their poor run behind them by beating Maccabi Haifa FC in Group A of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.

Slow start
The Italian giants kicked off the season in commanding style, winning four of their first five matches, but they have not tasted victory in any of their subsequent five games, their last triumph coming on 19 September when they defeated AS Livorno Calcio 2-0 in Serie A. Since then La Vecchia Signora have drawn four and lost once, including a goalless stalemate at FC Bayern München on Matchday 2 and Saturday's 1-1 draw with ACF Fiorentina in Turin.

'Hungry'
While Haifa are yet to pick up a point in the section Juve have fared only marginally better, kicking off with a pair of draws, and their goalkeeper believes the time has come to get back to winning ways. "We're hungry," Buffon said. "We haven't won for a month so we'll do our best to make amends. We're going through a tricky moment. If we are real champions, as we think we are, we can leave all this behind us by working hard. I saw some good signs in training, and I'm sure this match will be our first step towards a resurgence."

Pain barrier
The 31-year-old himself has not had it easy of late. He made his 99th appearance for Italy in their draw with the Republic of Ireland on 10 October but has been troubled by a knee problem and was rested for the Azzurri's subsequent win against Cyprus. He is willing to play through the pain barrier, though, if it means Juve start winning again. "I'll tell you if I'm happy to meet Haifa after the final whistle," he joked.

'Launching pad'
"Of course, when the team is not playing at its best meeting a certain kind of opponent can help you, but the biggest mistake we can make is to understimate them," Buffon added of the Israeli championsand Premier League leaders. "We'll try to make the most of this game as we are playing at home, and make it a sort of a launch pad for our future. We respect Haifa a lot and the team is preparing with great focus."