"We have been waiting for this match a long time and it is going to be very, very entertaining," smiled the Frenchman in anticipation.

"We know that we have real champions up against us and it'll be great fun. We hope to go to Milan and put in a wonderful performance so that we can prove to ourselves that we are still up to the task."

No Serie A side has ever won the Scudetto straight after promotion, but the Bianconeri have defied the odds to be in joint second place going into this weekend.

"I think that Juve are a side with immense prestige and we have to aim high, to win the Scudetto. We know it will be difficult for us, just as it is for everyone else.

"But if the team continues its current form and mentality, I think we are on a par with the others."