'Juventus the strongest team after Barcelona' - Kroos

Posted Tuesday, April 02, 2013 by Goal.com

The Roten player has labelled the Bianconeri the second-best team in Europe ahead of the clash beween the two sides, and says Germany's record against Italian teams is irrelevant

Bayern Munich midfielder Toni Kroos has admitted Juventus have left an impression on him as he feels they are currently only topped by Barcelona.

Both sides currently enjoy a commanding position in their respective domestic leagues, and Kroos is well aware of the Serie A champions' strengths, especially in defence.

"Juventus, from my point of view, are the strongest team after Barcelona," the 23-year-old told reporters at the pre-match press conference.

"They will be very strong in defence as always. After all, they are an Italian team."

He also commented on the top-class midfield of the Bianconeri and singled out Andrea Pirlo as one of the main threats going into the match.

"They have a strong midfield. So do we. Of course we have to be extremely careful of their key players like Pirlo, but it will be important to establish our style of play. If we are able to do so, we will win this game."

Germany were eliminated from Euro 2012 by Italy, but Kroos does not believe the failure to proceed to the finals of the tournament has any effect on his club team's composure.

He added: "The past does not count. And it is not of interest. We do not care about games between Germany and Italy, we do not care about former games against Juventus or Inter."

Bayern Munich meet the Serie A champions at the Allianz Arena on April 2.