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Allegri: “On the right track”

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Allegri: “On the right track”
Allegri: “On the right track”
Allegri: “On the right track”

Massimiliano Allegri saluted his side’s achievement of reaching the Champions League knockout stages with one game to spare courtesy of Wednesday night’s win against Manchester City at Juventus Stadium.

Another positive result away to Sevilla in December would see the Bianconeri finish as Group D leaders and Allegri underlined that while his players are making progress, there still remain areas to work on.

Speaking to media after the match, the Tuscan tactician began: “I’m very happy with the boys, as it wasn’t easy to wrap up qualification by the fifth matchday, especially not in a difficult group like this.

“The team is growing, but there’s still room for improvement. We might have closed out the match with greater composure, but we had 4-5 youngsters on the pitch and it’s not easy playing in Europe.”

Asked about the reasons behind his choice to start match-winner Mario Mandzukic ahead of Alvaro Morata against the Citizens, Allegri revealed: “I made the decision a couple of days ago. Alvaro is a useful option off the bench, especially in this kind of game.”

Meanwhile, the 48-year-old sang the praises of Alex Sandro, who provided the assist with a wonderfully whipped cross into the path of the Croatian in the 18th minute, while also acknowledging the positive performances of forwards Paulo Dybala and Morata.

“Alex Sandro has been an excellent addition to this team. He put in a brilliant shift both defensively and going forward, as did Evra, who used all his experience in a crucial moment of the match.

“Dybala is turning into a fine second striker. Tonight he operated well between the lines and it was difficult for their defence to keep track of him. Morata, meanwhile, is growing more and more into the centre-forward role.”

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