Max Allegri explains where Kenan Yildiz and Dusan Vlahovic can still improve after the 3-0 win over Sassuolo, but has no interest in ‘enjoyment’ at Juventus.
The Bianconeri lost only one Serie A match all season and it was 4-2 to Sassuolo in September, so his men were eager for revenge at the Allianz Juventus Stadium in Turin this evening.
They had the result sewn up by half-time thanks to a sensational brace from Vlahovic, who bent a left-foot finish into the far top corner, then fired a free kick in off the underside of the bar.
Federico Chiesa added a third late on following good work from Arkadiusz Milik for a thumping 3-0 victory.
This was their sixth win on the trot in all competition, scoring 18 goals and conceding three, so is the coach enjoying himself?
“It’s not a matter of enjoyment, all that really counts in football is winning games. The rest is irrelevant,” Allegri told DAZN.
“This was a Sassuolo side that beat Fiorentina last week, put four goals past us in September, with talented players like Berardi and Lauriente who forced big saves from Szczesny.
“We are happy, but we have to focus on Sunday’s game with Lecce. We have 49 points, we must keep going, keep working and keep this up.
“It was a good game, we had a lot of chances, but needed to be sharper in the final third. Those who came off the bench did well and that is very important. We must maintain this team spirit and cohesion, which is very important, but also work on our limitations.”
The mentality of this Juventus side seems to have improved in recent weeks, whereas some of the previous performances saw them hanging on to a one-goal lead.
“It was important to react quickly when we lost the ball, then make sure we get everyone back to slow them down. I saw a sense of maturity in controlling the match, all despite the fact we have a lot of players who are lacking in experience. They are growing and I am pleased.”
Kenan Yildiz is only 18 years old, but in a few weeks has gone from potential talent to a regular in the starting XI for Juventus and Allegri deserves credit for putting so much faith in him.
“There are few who can control the ball like Yildiz. On top of that, he rarely makes the wrong decisions, that is innate talent, we didn’t have to teach him that. However, he is young and it is only natural at 18 there will be an off period, but we have other options and that is fine.
“I want him to do more, as he can make the difference.”
Allegri has always been quite critical of Vlahovic and that did not change after tonight’s impressive brace.
“Vlahovic is improving. When he came on against Frosinone the other night, he had a bad half-hour, because he was so desperate to do everything. That was a sign of lacking maturity and I had a talk to him.
“He was much calmer this evening, didn’t argue as much with the referee, but he must continue working to avoid these errors in future.”
Perhaps more importantly for Allegri and his stated objectives, Juve are now 16 points clear of Atalanta and Lazio in fifth place.
They will go head-to-head with Inter on February 4, but can surge in front next week when the Nerazzurri skip a round to participate in the Supercoppa Italiana. So does Allegri prefer to be the hunter or the hunted?
“If there is someone in front, there has to be someone behind. We must do well to stay calm, focus on one game at a time.
“We put fifth place 16 points behind us and that is important. Winning in Lecce would be very important and those games are always tough. One step at a time.”
#SerieA #Fantacalcio | #Juventus, #Allegri: "#Yildiz? Ha qualità innate" https://t.co/idFLuobqCa
— Gianluca Di Marzio (@DiMarzio) January 16, 2024