Massimiliano Allegri was not satisfied with Juventus’ work in their edgy 1-1 draw with Fiorentina this afternoon.
The Bianconeri looked incredibly uninspiring at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, allowing the Viola to control the second half and eventually find an equaliser. Juventus were lucky to leave Florence with a point, Mattia Perin being the hero after saving Luka Jovic’s penalty in the first half.
Speaking in a press conference, Allegri first discussed why Juventus played so defensively in the second half.
“Fiorentina pushed hard and we missed a few situations in the buildup. Let’s say we practised a good defensive phase.”
He commented on the decision not to use former Fiorentina forward Dusan Vlahovic in the match.
“He had played several games and Milik could’ve given us an extra hand. Not just the goal. I wanted to rest him, then there were forced changes.”
The Juventus coach spoke about the condition of winger Angel Di Maria and if he’ll be fit enough to take part in the upcoming Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain.
“If we want to be realistic, the most important game in the Champions League is at home against Benfica.
“Di Maria came off as a precaution after only two training sessions, we’ll see how he is. With a bit of patience we’ll get there.”
Allegri analysed what Juventus were missing in the draw with Fiorentina.
“In the second half we dropped a few players, but the thing to absolutely improve on is that when you have the chance to go 2-0 up, you have to take it. Those are the key moments that decide seasons and we still don’t have that nastiness.
“You can also miss the shot, but I didn’t see meanness. You have to get used to that again, it’s not all easy. That’s all, then I don’t get angry at the guys for anything. From that moment then came the corner and the equaliser, which changes everything. In Florence then.”
Finally, Allegri spoke about how the Viola’s equaliser made him feel.
“Angry is an understatement, you can’t concede that goal. You also need patience when taking corners. At that moment we had to close out the game.”
Juventus’ next game is a Champions League clash against PSG in Paris on September 6. Kick-off is at 20:00 UK time.