Max Allegri insists there was no “tactical masterpiece” to transform Mario Mandzukic, but Claudio Marchisio is returning to his best for Juventus.
The Bianconeri shrugged off their Champions League success at eliminating Barcelona with two clean sheets, focusing on Serie A with a 4-0 hammering of Genoa.
Max Allegri insists there was no “tactical masterpiece” to transform Mario Mandzukic, but Claudio Marchisio is returning to his best for Juventus.
The Bianconeri shrugged off their Champions League success at eliminating Barcelona with two clean sheets, focusing on Serie A with a 4-0 hammering of Genoa.
“It wasn’t easy, as Genoa had done really well against Lazio to draw 2-2 and had more motivation with the return of their Coach. It was a tough test, but we had the right mentality and approach,” he told Mediaset Premium.
“Genoa were man-marking us tonight and football is really tough if you don’t move around. You need to shake markers off, create space and move the ball around too.
“We don’t have the Scudetto yet, but we need eight points to be mathematically certain. Now we have a few days to prepare for another very difficult trip to Atalanta.
“We made a lot of changes today, but the important thing is that the result does not change.”
Marchisio will have to fill in for suspended Sami Khedira in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final with Monaco.
“He had a good performance tonight and looked good both physically and technically. After a cruciate ligament injury, it takes a long time, so I knew the timing would be crucial and hopefully he can end the season in crescendo.
“We have five days before Bergamo, then another four days until Monaco. I have many options and that means I can keep everyone fresh, which is important, but we also have to keep the enthusiasm to a decent level and not let it become euphoria.
“We haven’t won anything yet, games become a bit strange towards the end of a season and we absolutely must not lower our concentration levels.”
Allegri was asked if he will stay at Juventus if they win the Treble this season.
“It doesn’t depend on winning something or nothing. The most important thing is to have strong motivation and objectives. I am happy at Juventus, the club seems happy with me, but the priority is not the contract right now. We have to focus on winning.”
With Juan Cuadrado out of action, Stephan Lichtsteiner was bumped up to the right side of that supporting trident in the 4-2-3-1 formation.
Mandzukic had a fantastic game and scored a stunner with his powerful curling strike. Was reinventing the centre-forward as a winger his tactical masterpiece?
“I didn’t do any masterpiece. I just thought at a certain stage of the season it was right to bring in a breath of fresh air. We were dragging ourselves along, really, and had been for a while,” shrugged Allegri.
“Mandzukic is so athletically gifted, I don’t know how many kilometres he notched up tonight, but his tactical intelligence is under-estimated and he is really an added bonus in that wide role.
“I want to single out Gonzalo Higuain tonight, as he played a technically perfect game and made a big contribution to the team.”