Victory against Sampdoria means Juventus have 53 points on the board at the halfway point – yet another record for Massimiliano Allegri's Juventus (the previous record of 52 was set in 2005/06, also by Juventus). It's an incredible figure and one which goes hand in hand with the Bianconeri's 101 points in the calendar year. But Allegri chose to cite another number as he spoke to the media after the game.“37, give or take a few, is the number of points we need to secure the Scudetto,” said the coach after Juve rounded off the year with a 2-1 success, courtesy of Cristiano Ronaldo's double, at Allianz Stadium.“It was important to end the year on a high and it wasn't at all easy. We had our chances against a good side, but we lost our way after their penalty.“In the second half we restored our lead after several opportunities and almost conceded another at the end but thankfully it was offside.“It's right to use VAR when it's considered appropriate to do so. [Paolo] Valeri officiated well and he was helped by technology.“We played well but we were winning 2-1 at the and all we had to do was keep the ball without forcing anything. Instead we get caught on the counter too many times after losing possession. We shouldn't be making mistakes like that.”The boss then singled out a number of players for praise, starting with the match-winner Cristiano Ronaldo.“Ronaldo is the best player in the world. [Emil] Audero did brilliantly to push his shot onto the bar, as did [Omar] Colley to save his header.“[Paulo] Dybala's distribution was excellent – he's a vital link for us between midfield and attack.“[Daniele] Rugani has had a very good year too.”
29 December 2018