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Allegri: "Job done and done well"

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Allegri: "Job done and done well"
Allegri: "Job done and done well"
Allegri: "Job done and done well"

Massimiliano Allegri declared himself satisfied with Juve's all-round performance as they dispatched Genoa 2-0 to set up a quarter-final clash with city rivals Torino.

Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain netted in what was ultimately a fairly comfortable victory for the Bianconeri at Allianz Stadium.

“Our aim was to reach the quarters and the lads got the job done – and they did it well,” Allegri explained after the match.

“We played well in the first half. Technically we were good, we played at a decent tempo, we pressed the opposition and strung some nice moves together. We let Genoa come into it a bit more in the second half when we sat back a touch but then we got the second goal and that killed the game off.”

One of the brighter notes was seeing Paulo Dybala's name back on the score sheet.

“Paulo played well, as did the rest of the team," Allegri continued. "He's an extraordinary player and I'm happy with his performance and the touches he showed today.

“He needed a goal and hopefully it will help him to relax a little. He just needs to focus on training, keeping calm and doing what he does best. We all want to see him get back to being the 'real' Dybala again, not the player who lost his way a little in the last month – which, by the way, is something that can happen to any player, especially a 24-year-old."

With Higuain starting on the bench, Allegri opted to begin the game with La Joya leading the line by himself – a tactic he admitted could be dusted off again in future.

“I'm pleased because we covered the space well today. Clearly when Dybala is playing centre forward we need our midfielders to push up into the box a bit more but it could be a useful tactical option for us.”

Another of the talking points was the referee's decision to award Genoa a penalty - and then go back on his decision after consulting with VAR.

“I was angry at the time because on three or four occasions we had lost possession while trying to play out of defence, including that time. When you find yourself in a spot, you shouldn't take risks – you just boot it out.

“I've never commented on refereeing decisions before and I'm certainly not going to start now. The ref had a good game.”

The boss was nonetheless keen to direct attention immediately to Saturday's big match against Roma, who were knocked out of the Coppa Italia by Torino earlier in the day.

“We have two days to get ready for the game and we must make sure we're totally on the ball. We'll see what the injury situation is like and who we might have available for it.

“We'll be facing a top-quality side and it's a six-pointer. Roma have been excellent in the league and could potentially be on the same number of points as us as they have a game in hand.”

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