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Gianluigi Buffon already thinking about Champions League knockout stages

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Simeone: We plan to suffocate Tevez (1:11)

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone says the team plan to crowd out Carlos Tevez around the box to prevent him having a big influence in the Champions League game against Juventus. (1:11)

Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is already looking beyond Wednesday night's clash with Atletico Madrid, saying the Italian club must be aiming to still be in the competition next March.

- Rzouki: Juventus must show their maturity at Atletico

The Bianconeri got their European campaign off to a winning start by beating Malmo 2-0 a fortnight ago, but they now face a more serious test of their credentials in Madrid, against last season's beaten finalists and current Spanish champions.

Wednesday's game is just another obstacle on the way to emulating their achievements from two seasons ago, when they fell to eventual champions Bayern Munich in the last eight.

"We want to carry on from where we left off then," Buffon said at a news conference in the Spanish capital. "That means the quarterfinals. It's important that we have at least that kind of objective, even if it will come down to the luck of the draw."

After eliminating Chelsea in the group stage two seasons ago, Juve earned arguably the easiest of all the potential draws in the round of 16, beating Celtic home and away before falling short against Bayern.

Last season, the three-time defending Serie A champions failed to make it out of their group with Real Madrid and Galatasaray advancing.

Juve have matured since then and are intent on making amends this time around, and Buffon is counting on the likes of Paul Pogba and Fernando Llorente to make the difference.

"Pogba is a player of the highest level and if he keeps on going the way he is, then he's really going to be one of the top two or three players in France's history," Buffon said of the 21-year-old midfielder.

"And Llorente is one of those kinds of players I always want in my team. He's always appreciated by the squad for the way he conducts himself."

Llorente is set to earn the nod to lead the Juve attack with coach Massimiliano Allegri hinting that he currently sees Alvaro Morata's strength in coming from the bench. Either way, Allegri says his strikers can expect to be heavily involved in the game, insisting they will not be just defending.

"It's in the DNA of this side that we always play to win," he said. "We've got to play a great game and try to return home with a positive result."