Max Allegri said the Fernando Llorente goal against Palermo proved Juventus were right to have faith and the same goes for Andrea Pirlo.
Max Allegri said the Fernando Llorente goal against Palermo proved Juventus were right to have faith and the same goes for Andrea Pirlo.
The Bianconeri secured a 2-0 victory this afternoon, putting them three points clear of Roma at the top of the Serie A table.
“Llorente wasn’t depressed at not scoring yet this season, but it’s normal that a goal is important for a striker, even if he likes to play for the team,” Allegri told Sky Sport Italia.
“This was the right game for him, both for his physical characteristics and to let Morata rest. I am happy he scored, as he repaid the faith we have in him and above all his own self-confidence.
“It was a poor first half and Palermo made it difficult for us, but we increased the tempo after the break and did better.
“Today I moved Marchisio to centre-right midfield because he provided more coverage for the attack-minded Pereyra. I wanted to rest Lichtsteiner for the whole game, but Pereyra had a hip problem.
“The decision to switch Bonucci and Ogbonna comes from the fact Angelo can struggle with the ball on his right foot.
“I think a team needs balance. Pirlo did very well in building play today and is getting back into shape, playing 60-65 minutes at a good level.”
Pirlo still looks to be a shadow of his usual self, as the six weeks out with injury at the start of the season took their toll.
“There’s no point hiding the fact that Andrea started training late and missed 40 days of training, so of course he’s going to need time,” insisted Allegri.
“When I was at Milan someone needed to be blamed and I was labelled the bad guy.”