Leonardo Bonucci says Max Allegri wanted to ease pressure on Juventus and believes the Old Lady must ‘have fun’ against PSG tomorrow.
Allegri claimed on Saturday that Juventus must be realistic and that Benfica are their real opponent in Group H, almost taking for granted that PSG would win the group.
“I smile because we all know the coach, he said that to ease the pressure. The most important game is tomorrow, but we’ll have to face Benfica for the qualification. It’s so good to play against these champions,” Bonucci explained at a press conference today.
The Bianconeri face PSG at the Parc des Princes tomorrow in their opening Champions League group stage game.
Bonucci and Gleison Bremer will face one of the best attacking trios in Europe: Kylian Mbappé, Leo Messi and Neymar.
“Mbappé is a stratospheric footballer, he has everything to become the best in the world. I am sure that he has the right mentality,” said Bonucci.
“You see it from how he speaks, he wants to improve. It will be hard to face him, Messi and Neymar, we need a team effort to stop them.
“Tomorrow’s game will tell us where to improve, it takes patience when you have new signings who have to settle in, but on Champions League nights, something changes, you’ll see a great Juventus tomorrow.
“It’s going to be a nice game but very difficult. We should not forget that it’s one of those games where we must have fun, we dreamed of playing these games as kids. We must keep the ball and run behind opponents like when we were kids.”
Paul Pogba has had a terrible start to the season amid tension with his brother and the decision to undergo meniscus surgery after a month of conservative therapy.
The Frenchman trained on the pitch yesterday and today, showing insufficient development.
“Paul is an international star; off-the-pitch issues don’t concern me. Paul is focused on his recovery, there was this problem today, but we hope to have him back soon,” said Bonucci.
Another big summer signing, Angel Di Maria, won’t be available tomorrow despite training with the team in the morning.
“Di Maria is a considerable loss, he is an important player, crucial inside the dressing room. Paredes has arrived recently, but he has personality and you can see that. He adds more international experience,” said Bonucci.
“We have a lot of new players, and getting the Juventus mentality isn’t easy or quick. The coach is doing a great job, making them understand what it means to play for Juventus.
“I am convinced that we’ll bring Juventus back to the top. We are doing something different compared to the past and I trust this team so much.”
Bonucci talks about ‘new players’ yet the same old guard will take to the field tomorrow…..
I can’t imagine that Allegri will be happy with Bonucci’s words. His captain has contradicted him on many levels – “we must keep the ball and run behind opponents like when we were kids”, is the antithesis of Allegri’s style. Is there a rebellion growing in the dressing room? Could this be why so many players are performing well below their levels?
5:1?
The only fun that the 7/9 will have in PhD Max’s mind is to do the CALMAAA!!! 10-0-0 for 90 mins, with everyone packed in the 18 yard box.
Allegri is a coward