Massimiliano Allegri wants to see a reaction after Juventus’ elimination in the Champions League group stage but insists it is ‘useless’ to think about the Scudetto or Europa League.
The Bianconeri visit Lecce at the Stadio Via Del Mare tomorrow. They will try to earn their third consecutive win in Serie A, reacting to their elimination in the Champions League group stage.
During his first season as a Serie A coach at Cagliari, Allegri lost his fifth consecutive game away at Lecce but managed to keep his job despite Cagliari being owned by Massimo Cellino, who is known for his little patience with coaches.
“That was my first season, now things are different. The season is long and we can still bounce back,” said Allegri.
“We have four crucial games remaining, four in Serie A and one in Champions League. We must focus on that. After the break, when all players are back, it will be different. This must be an opportunity to grow.”
Allegri confirmed that both Dusan Vlahovic and Manuel Locatelli won’t be available tomorrow.
Juventus are not only out of the Champions League but have also experienced a poor start to the season in Serie A being already ten points behind table leaders Napoli. Does he still believe in the Scudetto?
“We’ve only played 11 games; talking about the Scudetto is quite useless,” the coach said.
“Now we must react and we have a chance to do so tomorrow. Napoli are doing extraordinary things, the same as Milan. Lazio, Inter and Roma are doing important things. We are behind. The target is to close the gap, 27 games are remaining; tomorrow’s is the first one.
“Tomorrow’s game will be challenging, we must be on the same level as them and run as much as they do. If needed, we must be ready to play a dirty game.
Juventus have a better goal difference than Maccabi Haifa in the Champions League, so they are the favourite to finish third in Group H. Yet again, Allegri insists the team should focus on nothing but the upcoming league match.
“It is useless to think about Europa League now, we must switch and focus on Serie A. It’s going to be a complicated game tomorrow. Lecce picked up draws against Fiorentina and Salernitana, they are well-organised and can be dangerous with counter-attacks.
“We need an important signal, we must come out of this situation, but we won’t do it in just one game. These players have great moral values and I strongly rely on this.”
How can Allegri explain Juventus’ poor results this term? Would he define the campaign as a failure so far?
“These things happen, I can’t find an appropriate word, it is up to you to find it,” he said.
“I focus on training with commitment and desire. Some clubs remained out of the Champions League for eight years or were eliminated. We don’t need frustration, otherwise, we won’t get out of this situation. We know how important tomorrow’s game is, it’s complicated regardless of the Champions League and we need to play it as a unit.”