Football
Ben Gladwell, Italy correspondent 9y

Juventus set sights on beating Empoli after suffering Genoa setback

Serie A champions Juventus are determined to bounce back against Empoli after suffering their first league defeat in seven months.

A 1-0 loss to Genoa in midweek was the first time the Bianconeri had been beaten since going down 2-0 at Napoli on March 30.

The result enabled Roma to move level on points with them at the top of the table -- but captain Gianluigi Buffon, making his 500th appearance, and defender Angelo Ogbonna insisted it was only a blip.

"It doesn't matter that it was my 500th game. Any defeat is painful," Buffon said in a question-and-answer session on Twitter.

Juve lost only twice in Serie A last season, and in an interview with the club's TV channel, Ogbonna said: "We tripped up against Genoa -- but we've got the Empoli game to bounce back straight away.

"It's only the ninth round of matches, and last year we were five points behind Roma at this stage. Of course expectations are always high, but we are serene and know we've got to be focused on our ultimate objective.

"We're strong psychologically and nothing will undermine us."

The Empoli clash marks the start of a key week for Juve, being followed by a home game against Olympiakos in the Champions League before Parma's visit to the Juventus Stadium.

"We should aim to reach the quarterfinals in the Champions League," Buffon wrote on Twitter. "In Italy, we need to reclaim our title."

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