They have already taken on some of the English Premier League stars but Sydney FC team-mates Ali Abbas and Bernie Ibini both concede taking on Juventus on Sunday night will be as good as it gets.
Having just taken part in the New Zealand based Football United Tour against EPL clubs West Ham and Newcastle; a whirlwind couple of the weeks for the Sky Blues duo is about to go to a new level with the Foxtel A-League All Stars.
The pair has been enjoying their time in camp with the Hyundai A-League’s best as preparations ramp up before battle with one of the biggest club’s in world football.
Ibini, who has been spent most of the week playing on the right wing as part of coach Josep Gombau’s 4-3-3 formation, is well aware of the task ahead and in particular his likely battle with French international Patrice Evra.
“I haven’t tried to think about it too much yet but it’s definitely going to be a huge challenge for me,” Ibini told www.a-leagueallstars.com.au
“He’s (Evra) a world-class player and it’s obviously not going to be easy. I’d say I will have my hands full.
“But everyone’s out there to do their best and I’ll be trying to do my best as well. It’s a dream when you’re younger to be able to play on the same field as teams like this.
“To be able to play against Juventus is something that’s very exciting.”
The Italian champions, who arrived in Sydney on Thursday morning, warmed up for their battle with the Foxtel A-League All Stars by cruising to an emphatic 8-1 win over and Indonesian Select XI in Jakarta on Wednesday night.
And despite being one of the more experienced players in the All Stars squad, Abbas admits he’s likely to be a little star-struck come kick off at ANZ Stadium on Sunday.
“You see them on TV, they are higher quality players so it will be good for me to play against such great players like Pirlo,” the Iraqi-born midfielder said.
“I’m happy to play against them. It gives you more experience, you can learn from these players and how to deal with the pressure. It’s going to be a wonderful for me
“To play with Alessandro (at Sydney FC) was a good experience but now to have the chance to play against one of the best teams in the world like Juventus is amazing. Hopefully we can do something great and win.”
While Juventus were settling into their new surrounds at the Rocks after arriving in Sydney this morning, their fans were camped out in front of the Park Hyatt just to get a glimpse of their heroes.
Meanwhile the All Stars were out on the training pitch at Homebush putting the final touches on their preparations for Sunday night.
Gombau and assistant Phil Moss will give the squad the afternoon off before they attend a special welcome dinner for Juventus.
The side will have their final run at ANZ Stadium on Saturday before a crowd of around 60,000 is expected to watch the Foxtel A-League All Stars do battle with the Italian champions.
The FOXTEL A-League All Stars will meet Juventus at ANZ Stadium in Sydney on 10 August with the match to be broadcast live and exclusive on the Seven Network nationally.
