Massimiliano Allegri warns his Juventus players not to be complacent against Milan in the Supercoppa.
The first domestic trophy of the season will be contested in Doha tomorrow, and the Coach expects a committed performance.
“We know how important this match is,” Allegri assured in his pre-match Press conference.
“Milan came a day later, but on the other hand we’ll find a very angry team who want to bring home a major trophy, as do we.
Massimiliano Allegri warns his Juventus players not to be complacent against Milan in the Supercoppa.
The first domestic trophy of the season will be contested in Doha tomorrow, and the Coach expects a committed performance.
“We know how important this match is,” Allegri assured in his pre-match Press conference.
“Milan came a day later, but on the other hand we’ll find a very angry team who want to bring home a major trophy, as do we.
“We’re coming from a very positive period in the League and the risk is that we face this match with a bit of complacency, but we can’t let that happen because this is the first trophy we can win and we set it as one of our objectives.
“So far the lads have been very good at achieving those, we’re top of the League at Christmas and got first place in our Champions League group.
“Tomorrow we have no chance of do-overs, so we’ll have to approach the game correctly if we want to bring home the trophy.
“I think humility is the most important thing, because with respect for your opponents you bring your best performances and go above your means.
“To win games – especially finals, one-off matches – you need to have all these components as well as technical and tactical ones. You have to play well.
“Not to mention that Juventus-Milan is always a game where the teams play on par, as has been shown in the League in recent years but also across history.
“They’ve always been 1-0 or 2-1 games, very balanced. We got it wrong in Milan last time, in previous matches we’ve won but we’ve never dominated both in terms of the play and the result.
“That’s why tomorrow will be a complicated match.
“There are no easy games, tomorrow’s match is a final and in finals, one-off games, anything can happen.
“Milan are doing great things at the beginning of the season which no-one expected. They have a lot of young Italians and they have a big future ahead of them, and with the enthusiasm of youth they can play with abandon.
“For better or worse we’re a bit older than them, but thankfully we’ve retained the daring and enthusiasm of the young.”
Allegri was asked whether he’ll deploy a back-three or a back-four, as well as being quizzed on the condition of Stephan Lichtsteiner.
“I have an idea, but there are also 24 hours until the match. We’ve had a week where Lichtsteiner and [Pjanic] were struggling with little knocks from Saturday’s game [with Roma].
“They’ve been improving the whole time, and between today and tomorrow – definitely by tomorrow morning – I’ll decide which team will take to the field tomorrow, bearing in mind we might have to play 120 minutes.
“Paulo Dybala? I’ll decide tomorrow, all three [Dybala, Mario Mandzukic and Gonzalo Higuain] could play together or just two of them could play.
“I’ll have to decide and evaluate whether [Miralem] Pjanic plays or doesn’t play.”
Allegri was actually the last Coach to win a trophy with the Rossoneri, lifting the Supercoppa in 2011.
“That’s all the more reason to prepare for this match in the best way possible,” Allegri warned.
“Tomorrow we need to play the match in the right way because it will be difficult from every point of view.
“That year I didn’t imagine [it would be the last trophy] because I was Milan Coach and I wanted to keep winning.
“Then things changed and now I’m happy to be at Juventus, especially given all we’ve won in the last two years…
“I thank the players, and I hope the lads can deliver me another trophy tomorrow.”