Allegri: ‘Football is about strategy’

Max Allegri explains how Adrien Rabiot helped neutralise Lazio and what Dejan Kulusevski is getting wrong for Juventus.

The 2-0 victory at the Stadio Olimpico was decided by a pair of Leonardo Bonucci penalties, not that the coach saw them, because he turned his back and stared at the floor.

“I never watch the penalties!” Allegri told DAZN.

Serie A | Lazio 0-2 Juventus: Bonucci puts Sarri on the spot

“We had a good game, but we did waste too many scoring opportunities, because this is a team with great potential and the ability to reach the opposition goal, then we are too hasty.”

Allegri was particularly irritated with Dejan Kulusevski for a late opportunity.

“You go to the corner flag with that ball, you don’t try to dribble everyone. These are the things we need to learn, we always try to do too much, go for a back-heel or a solo run, they are unnecessary and wasteful.

“It wasn’t easy for him, he needs to be more decisive in the box, as he had a few chances and needed to take a moment to think and make the right choice.”

This match was painted as a clash between the defensive Allegri and possession-based Maurizio Sarri.

“It was Juve against Lazio, not Allegri against Sarri, but football is also strategy. There are moments you need to keep the ball, moments when you have to counter, moments when you must defend.

“I thought Lazio would keep the ball for 70-80 per cent, but we did well to keep 46 per cent, so that was an improvement. As time goes on, we’ll do better. It’s the kind of thing you can only learn with time and a run of victories.”

Among the moves to neutralise Lazio was putting Adrien Rabiot on Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.

“Rabiot, Locatelli and McKennie worked really hard in midfield. Rabiot has a great engine, he could’ve played another 90 minutes, and he did really well to limit Milinkovic-Savic,” confirmed Allegri.

“I admired the spirit we showed, the only chances we allowed for Lazio were on the counter because we had so many players going forward trying to score. This is why I say that the chances need to be finished, because otherwise you are open to conceding.

“We lost Danilo early, I introduced Kulusevski and there was the risk of being unbalanced, but the lads did really well.

“I have never seen a great team win with complacency. You must always respect your opponents and put in the effort, and we dropped points this season because we didn’t have the same attitude against them that we did in the bigger games.”