Katan confident Haifa's luck will turn

Captain Yaniv Katan believes it is important for Maccabi Haifa FC to end their barren run in the UEFA Champions League as they prepare to entertain Juventus at the Ramat Gan Stadium.

'No pressure'
The Israeli side are yet to score a goal or record a point in Group A but Katan is highlighting the positives in Haifa's performances ahead of Tuesday's Matchday 4 encounter. "There is no pressure on us," said the striker who missed the match in Turin through illness. "In the three matches we have played so far we have shown some good football and created chances, but failed to score. I believe we will keep up the good work against Juventus, but this time we will have to do a lot better. [Gianluigi] Buffon is a great keeper but he concedes goals as well."

Dangerous Katan
Juventus coach Ciro Ferrara has singled out Israeli international Katan as the main threat to the Italian outfit, although the 28-year-old himself insists Haifa have plenty of players capable of troubling the Turin giants. "I thank Ciro for flattering me by saying I'm the one Buffon should look out for, but we have other good attackers, not just me."

Defensive solidity
Maccabi goalkeeper Nir Davidovitch, meanwhile, is demanding his team-mates defend stoutly in order to secure their first points in the group stage. "We have given our all in every game and made the other teams work hard," he said. "We just need to play well in defence and make fewer mistakes. We don't want to say goodbye to Europe so we will try as hard as we can to win and also to enjoy the match."

Improvement required
Juventus keeper Gianluigi Buffon is adamant that despite a 3-2 home loss to SSC Napoli on Saturday, his side will bounce back at the Ramat Gan. "I'm proud to represent this club and we have the required strength to win here, so I think we will," he said. "It's our fault we lost against Napoli – we were leading 2-0 in the first half and then let the game slip away. We all feel responsible. We have no other choice but to win here."