20 September 2015
Massimiliano Allegri expressed his satisfaction at the way the Bianconeri dealt with this afternoon’s difficult test against a physical Genoa outfit, emerging victorious by a two-goal margin to pick up their maiden Serie A victory of the 2015/16 campaign.
Speaking to reporters after the game, he began: “It was a good win. Firstly because it was this season’s first triumph in the league and secondly because we kept a clean sheet. The lads did well to adapt to the physical nature of the game, at a venue where taking all three points is never a straightforward task.”
The Tuscan tactician’s starting line-up featured two changes from Tuesday’s triumphant Champions League opener against Manchester City, with Leonardo Bonucci and Hernanes making way for Andrea Barzagli and Mario Lemina.
The latter shone on his Serie A debut, impressing in his position sat just in front of the back four, and earned the manager’s praise for a strong performance that belied his younger years.
“We’ve only been working together for 10 days and at the moment my selections are based on technical and tactical aspects, not squad rotation.
“Leonardo had played every game this season, including the international fixtures, and I was concerned that a third consecutive match might have been a bridge too far for Hernanes at this stage from a physical point of view.
“Lemina put in a mature performance in a role I think he’s naturally suited to. He’s a very smart player from a tactical point of view, so hats off to him for his performance today. ”
Despite today’s confident display, Allegri insists that this is only the beginning for his new-look side and, to illustrate the point, picked out a couple of areas that still require work on the training ground.
He concluded: “We’ve got time to improve and that’s precisely what we need to do, because we didn’t keep the ball well in the second half and were too hurried in our attempts to score a third goal.”
