Max Allegri warns Juventus not to be swayed by tonight’s Barcelona defeat in La Liga and noted “defending is just as beautiful as a great attacking move.”
Gonzalo Higuain scored both goals in the 2-0 win over Chievo, but Paulo Dybala put in an inspirational performance, proving he has fully recovered from those muscular problems.
Now they prepare for Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final with Barcelona, as the first leg is in Turin.
Max Allegri warns Juventus not to be swayed by tonight’s Barcelona defeat in La Liga and noted “defending is just as beautiful as a great attacking move.”
Gonzalo Higuain scored both goals in the 2-0 win over Chievo, but Paulo Dybala put in an inspirational performance, proving he has fully recovered from those muscular problems.
Now they prepare for Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final with Barcelona, as the first leg is in Turin.
“We have to feel ready, as this is a quarter-final and with all due respect for Barcelona, we have to play believing we can go through. We’ll need to be at our best both when attacking and defending,” the Coach told Mediaset Premium.
This evening the Blaugrana lost 2-0 to Malaga with Neymar sent off, but Allegri isn’t taking anything for granted.
“Tonight’s result is irrelevant, because Barcelona are accustomed to playing this sort of fixture. We were coming off a couple of tough games and it was only natural we’d be a little tired this evening, so in my view this was one of our toughest games of the season, as we had used up so much energy with Napoli.
“We are in good shape. Higuain did good work on his fitness levels while on international duty. We have to face the next few weeks with enthusiasm and the desire to go all the way. There’s no point sitting here thinking we’re playing against Barcelona – we have to play and that is all.
“From tomorrow we think about Barcelona, but only because it’s the next game. The next game is always the most important.
“When you have Leo Messi, Neymar, Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta, not to mention the others, it’s rare you get an off night. We have to be on point, ready to attack at the right time and defend when it’s necessary.”
Mario Mandzukic was out of tonight’s game with Chievo, so will he be ready to start against Barcelona?
“He had two training sessions over the last couple of days, I’ll see tomorrow if he’s in good enough condition to play. It was important tonight that I was able to rotate the squad and ensure we have some fresh legs on Tuesday, while still getting results. That is fundamental.”
Allegri was asked about the common trope that Juventus get results, but do not play beautiful football.
“Football is very simple, you have attacking and defending. You need both and there’s no shame in being good at defending, in fact it’s just as beautiful as a great attacking move.
“I am happy for those who have spectacular football, but if I want a spectacle then I’ll go to the circus. I want three points. I have talented players, but that’s not enough, as some games are rough, others are more physical, there are some matches within a match.
“I am not annoyed by these comments, if anything they make me smile. There are some games where you have 35 per cent possession and create seven or eight scoring opportunities. Some games you have 70 per cent possession and have three shots on target. So which is better?
“These are all numbers and statistics that have meaning to a certain degree.”
Barcelona Coach Luis Enrique joked that he’d advise Allegri to rest four key players on Tuesday to best focus on Serie A football. Would the Juve boss like to return the favour?
“Well he can rest Messi, Neymar, Iniesta and Suarez. I really like Luis Enrique, he’s a lovely guy and I’ll be glad to see him on Tuesday.”