Match Coverages
Allegri discusses Sporting CP victory, trident attack, Paredes’ substitution faux pas, and more
Juventus manager Max Allegri spoke to reporters after his team’s 1-0 victory over Sporting CP in the Europa League quarter-final first leg.
Although his team rode their luck at times, Allegri was pleased with the performance and credited the victory to his team’s adaptability.
“We made a few mistakes, the lads can improve, above all in the final cross when Perin made two crucial saves, we should’ve sensed the danger earlier,” Allegri said.
“We did better in the second half with three midfielders, who gave us better width. Sporting pressed high and lost intensity as the game wore on, I had to sort of adapt Angel Di Maria to a wide role and naturally they were causing us a few problems in midfield. It was a good performance, it wasn’t easy to win and to keep a clean sheet.”
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Allegri also addressed the confusion over a substitution involving Leandro Paredes, saying, “By that stage, Paredes figured he wasn’t going to come on and had already taken off his shirt, so it all stalled for a minute. It was probably a good thing, in the end.”
The coach explained his decision to start with a trident attack featuring Federico Chiesa, Angel Di Maria, and Arkadiusz Milik, but admitted that football is not a “mathematical equation.”
He said: “I saw three forwards did well against Lazio, so I tried it again, but I think it is most important to remember the balance of the team and the various characteristics that players have when combined together. We don’t want to lose the securities we had built up over the course of the season.”
Allegri praised Federico Gatti, who scored the only goal of the game and his first for the club.
“It is not an easy season for us, young lads need time to grow,” he said. “At times they can look fantastic, at others like they’ve never played football, it is a whole different pressure playing for Juventus. Gatti has so much energy and is like a sponge, he soaks up all the information you throw at him.”
Looking ahead to the semi-finals, Allegri acknowledged the challenge that lies ahead, saying “The winners of this tie will go on to face either Manchester United or Sevilla in the semi-final, which is also wide open after the Premier League side fumbled a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 at Old Trafford.”
Allegri also talked about Juventus’ appeal against a 15-point penalty in Serie A, which will be heard on April 19.
“Our next objective now is to catch Atalanta in the table and consolidate what would be second place in the table,” he said.
“The lads did very well to believe and we need to keep believing even more. They are responding well. In football I believe that technique and talent counts, but the moral values of the individuals, the passion and heart poured onto the pitch, are the really crucial elements.”