Salah: We can beat Juventus

"I think we're going to win 2-1,” declared the Egyptian star in an interview with Italian newspaper La Stampa. “They are really strong but then again so are we. We have the obligation to aim high.

"It will be a full-throttle contest with both teams gunning for the three points. I don't see this game ending in a draw."

It won't be the winger's first time at Juventus Stadium however – last season he scored two goals for Fiorentina in Turin, handing the Viola victory in the Coppa Italia semi-final first leg, before his move to the capital in August 2015.

"That was a great occasion and a magical evening. As for Sunday, I'm going to score, celebrate and get the win. I'm joking, of course, if only every game went that well!

"We just need that spark to get back to winning ways and setting our targets high. There's a long way to go and we're not out of anything yet."

Whenever you get the ball, the tempo of the team seems to increase…

"My game is all about enjoyment, passion and bravery. There's no room in my make-up for 0-0 draws."

Do you prefer a 5-4 thriller?

"Yes, only if we've scored the five goals! Obviously you still have to be careful at the back, otherwise..."

Otherwise the coaches get angry?

"Tactics are a big factor in Italy and you can feel it. It's an important part of the game and I'm learning a lot. It's different in England, where teams are always trying to play and win. You never come across weaker teams that won't attack."

Are Serie A and the Premier League two sporting cultures that are complete opposites?

"I'm really enjoying myself in Italy. Football is experienced so viscerally here that it reminds me of Egypt."

Your style of football is predominantly built around speed. Could you give Usain Bolt a run for his money?

"It's true, I do run a lot. I've always done so and that's how I like it. But there's more to me besides pace."

Why did you choose this club and this city?

"There's so much passion and warmth here. Also, everybody in the Middle East knows all about Roma and Francesco Totti. When I signed, my friends couldn't stop phoning me and asking if I would say hello to Il Capitano for them."

The first time you kicked a ball was in the desert in Egypt?

"It was really tough. I'd play on a tiny pitch surrounded by the desert in the actual sense of the word. When I was older, I then had to travel four or five hours by bus to get to training sessions. I dreamed of making it."

Now you have made it and Totti is by your side. Plus you'll soon come across another idol of yours – Zinedine Zidane – in the Real Madrid dugout for the Champions League…

"It really is a dream come true: Totti in the changing room next to me and Zidane as an opponent."

As a Muslim, you've put a lot of effort into talking in schools about respect for different religions and ethnicities.

"Respect is the most important thing we have. It's only right that footballers spread these messages."

Europe seems to be moving towards closed borders and indifference in the light of recent tragic events, which could mean that the dreams of so many other potential Salahs might vanish…

"This is really upsetting for me. It's the individual that counts, not where they come from."