Juventus v Verona: Tactical improvements enthuse Khedira

Sami Khedira says tactical improvements have spread confidence throughout Juventus’ ranks as they approach a return to Serie A action against Verona on Wednesday.

Following the departures of key players such as Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Carlos Tevez, the defending champions endured a sluggish start to the season, winning just three of their opening 10 fixtures and sitting 11 points off Roma in pole position.

However, a run of seven straight victories has put Massimiliano Allegri’s side back in the hunt for a fifth successive Scudetto.

They start the year in fourth position, just three points adrift of leaders Inter, and Khedira believes increased solidity has been key to restoring Juve’s self-esteem and making them a formidable opponent once again.

“The most important thing now is that the team keeps pushing on to win more matches,” he told Juventus’ official website.

“As we have seen in recent games in the league, we are all playing with more confidence, we’re set up better tactically, we score more goals and concede less.

“I think it’s normal that we took a bit of time to get going, after changing so many players, but now we’ve all settled in, we’re performing well and getting results regardless of who is on the pitch.”