Federico Chiesa found the net in tonight’s 2-0 Coppa Italia semi-final win over Lazio, but the Juventus star warns this is ‘not enough to take us out of this crisis.’
The Bianconeri were jeered off the pitch at half-time by their own supporters when it was still goalless, having won only one of their last nine Serie A matches.
It remained a very tense situation until Chiesa ran onto the Andrea Cambiaso through ball and swept his finish into the far bottom corner.
After that, Weston McKennie sent Dusan Vlahovic clear to make it 2-0 and secure a solid advantage going into the second leg on April 23.
“We were a little tense in the first half, but in the second we got back to being the team that we were in January,” Chiesa told Mediaset.
“Now we need to focus on Serie A and get things back on track there.”
While coach Max Allegri hit back angrily at the criticism over the last few weeks, Chiesa fully acknowledges the fans have every reason to be unhappy.
“The criticism is only right and it is only right that we listen and try to do better. The 2-0 result is not enough to take us out of this crisis that has been going on for a couple of months now.
“At Juventus you have to be at 110 per cent all the time, there is a very high level of pressure and that is how it ought to be. The criticism is fair.”
Chiesa and Juventus overall seemed to crumble after the double whammy of a draw when down to 10 men against Empoli at home, then losing at San Siro, which effectively ended their Scudetto hopes.
“The fact that we drew with Empoli and then lost to Inter, being pushed back, really took the wind out of our sails. I won’t say we switched off, but when such a huge dream slips through your fingertips, it is difficult to then readjust towards other objectives.
“When you play for Juventus, you have to play for every target, that is demanded by the club and above all the fans. That is how it should be.”
The Bianconeri’s poor form has seen them slip from second to third and are now only two points in front of fourth-placed Bologna.