10 August 2014
Massimiliano Allegri’s men made it two pre-season tour wins out of two after registering a 3-2 success against the A-League All Stars at the ANZ Stadium tonight.
The Tuscan will be encouraged by his side’s fighting spirit after goals from Fernando Llorente, Paul Pogba and Simone Pepe maintained the Bianconeri’s 100 per cent record on their Asia-Pacific tour.
In his post-match interview, the 46-year-old began: “It was a good game and a decent workout for the side particularly after the hard work we’ve got through in the last few days.
“There’s still room for improvement. We made a quite a few errors today but that’s normal at this stage of our pre-season preparations.”
Allegri will no doubt be buoyed by Simone Pepe’s return to the team following an injury-ravaged two years at the club, with the midfielder’s second-half introduction spurring the Bianconeri’s late surge.
Pepe’s performance was a sign of this current Juventus crop’s determination to improve and his manager duly praised the team’s resolve: “After the way we started the game, it was inevitable that the boys would step up to the plate and give a bit more.”
Allegri concluded: “We played better in the second half, a sign that we’re working diligently and the lads’ fitness levels are on the up. In that respect, I’m happy”.
Up next for the Bianconeri is a trip to the National Stadium of Singapore on Saturday 16 August where the team will face a Singapore All Stars XI at 12.00 (CET). The match will bring the Asia-Pacific tour to a close as the players fly back to Italy the following day.
