Marchisio credits Juve fitness regime

Claudio Marchisio feels Juventus’ hard work in training throughout the season they are still unbeaten in Serie A.

Juve beat Cesena 1-0 on Wednesday courtesy of a late Marco Borriello strike to stay three points clear of AC Milan in the league table, and Marchisio said the team’s conditioning had been instrumental to their form.

“Our excellent fitness is thanks to the work we do on a daily basis. Perhaps not all of us accepted it at the start, because we were used to different methods. However, we’ve taken on board how much it pays off and we’re reaping the rewards,” Marchisio told the official Juve website.

“The match against Cesena showed that you must never underestimate any team. The Roma game seemed difficult yet we saw them off in half an hour. Wednesday’s game should have been more straightforward, at least on paper, and we struggled more.

“But we’re still first and now we’ll regain our strength to play another game on a synthetic pitch, a type of surface that drains your energy.”

Juventus resume Serie A action on Sunday when they travel to Novara.