31 October 2015
Massimiliano Allegri praised his charges’ character after their last-minute win against Torino on Saturday evening at Juventus Stadium.
Speaking to Sky and Mediaset, the 48-year-old began: “This was an extremely important victory, not only because it’s a derby and we’ve secured the bragging rights over our inter-city rivals, but also due to the points we’ve put on the board.
“In the final 10 minutes, we pressed hard for a winner and that’s exactly what the boys deserved without taking anything away from Torino, who put in a great performance themselves. With the same attitude and desire that we showed tonight, we’ll continue to move in the right direction.”
Allegri brought on Alex Sandro in the 87th minute and the left-back made an immediate impact by sliding the ball across the box for Juan Cuadrado to bundle home.
On the Brazilian’s introduction, the Tuscan tactician explained: “The game was very even at that point and we needed fresh legs. I’m fortunate that he provided the assist for the goal, but Mario Mandzukic also did well to attack the near post.”
Meanwhile, he also reserved praise for Alex Sandro’s compatriot Hernanes: “He’s a player who does his defensive duties well. It’s not easy playing in the hole and he can excel just in front of the backline.”
Turning his attentions to the Bianconeri’s aspirations for the campaign, Allegri insisted that his men would continue to take each game at a time, starting with next Tuesday’s Champions League encounter away to Borussia Monchengladbach.
“We’re not thinking about the Scudetto, we’re just focused on winning matches. This gives us a boost ahead of our Group D tie and we need to make the most of the little time we have at our disposal between now and then.”
