Palermo head coach Davide Ballardini: 'Fans crucial for Juventus tie'

Palermo head coach Davide Ballardini has stated that the club's fans will be hugely important when Juventus travel to play his side on Sunday.

The 51-year-old, who took over at Palermo earlier in November, guided the Rosanero to a 1-1 draw away to Lazio in their previous Serie A outing.

"It's never easy to limit teams like Juve. We'll only think about playing our game, we've got strong players here and I believe in them. I see them every day and I know that they want to prove their worth," Ballardini told reporters ahead of the fixture.

"The contribution of the supporters tomorrow will be crucial, as a full Stadio Renzo Barbera is like an extra weapon."

On former Palermo striker Paulo Dybala, who will line up for the Old Lady against his old side, Ballardini added: "It's a shame I never got to work with such a strong player. However, now he plays for Juve and we are studying ways to stop him."

Palermo currently occupy 15th spot in the league table, while last season's champions Juventus are in sixth after a slow start to the season.