Massimiliano Allegri underlined the complicated nature of tonight’s Champions League clash between Juventus and Benfica, and suggested that he was happy with the critics.
The Bianconeri are hungry for a strong result against their Portuguese opposition tonight following the frustrating defeat in their European opener against Paris Saint-Germain. Juventus felt robbed following the controversial 2-2 draw with Salernitana and are keen to bounce back against Benfica.
Speaking to Amazon Prime, Allegri first looked ahead to Juventus’ game against Benfica, highlighting the difficulties.
“We’ll need a good performance and a result with a good performance. Playing against the Portuguese side is difficult, they’re dribblers. It’ll be complicated, we’ll need to be good, as a team, with compactness.”
He commented on the desire to return to winning ways and the packed schedule of the 2022-23 season.
“We know we have to create the conditions to become competitive for the Scudetto. It’s an important step, but not a decisive one.
“We have to keep working, the season is different, in six weeks we stop for the World Cup. We have played seven games so far compared to three last year, everything is different.
“What we have lost now we’ll have time to recover.”
The Italian coach spoke about the various criticisms laid against him and Juventus this season.
“How am I living the moment? I feel privileged. If they talk about us, I’m happy. I also came back for this. It’s part of the game, in Italy there is this way of criticising, of doing… but it’s also right, sometimes they go beyond the professional aspect.
“But I respect everyone’s work, journalists’ work as it should be. In the end what counts is what has to be done on the pitch, the results.”
Finally, Allegri confirmed that Angel Di Maria would not be taking part in the match against Benfica and he touched on the tactical aspects of tonight’s game.
“He won’t be in the stands, on the pitch or on the bench. Only one training session with the team, he’s unlikely to play. He’s important.
“In Paris we tried a 3-5-2 and it didn’t go well, then we changed and it went better. We started with a system of play and then we changed.
“The evolution of the games must also be understood. We stay in the game, the game is a test for that too.”
After the opening six games of the Serie A season, Juventus sit 8th in the table with 10 points, having picked up two wins and four draws.
PhD Max is a living legend. Who knew that in the 21st Century there would still be a demand for the back, back, down, down. A legend of 2 failed CL adventures and now the latest Salernitana debacle. It does not matter if the 7/9 go 3-5-2 as the creator of coma calcio plays more like 10-0-0 with no movement for 85 mins per game.
yawn Gump yawn
Better not start yawning now cisonare. Save the yawn for tonight when Allegri brings us more of the same.