01 October 2015
In the light of a second consecutive Champions League win and the extension of his side’s 13 game unbeaten home record in the competition, Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri had plenty of reasons to be positive as he met the media at Juventus Stadium this evening.
Solid defensively, dangerous going forward and mature in their management of the tie, the Tuscan was full of praise for the Bianconeri’s performance to see off reigning Europa League champions Sevilla while underlining that there is still plenty of work ahead for his young squad.
Speaking after the game, Allegri began: “The boys played well out there tonight, both from a technical and tactical point of view. We still need to continue growing as a team as there were a few moments after spells of being on top when we let the game get a bit stretched.
“In the second half though we were excellent, controlling the tempo throughout while upping it when we needed to. For me, this is the first step of a squad that’s starting to find its feet and learning how to manage matches at the very highest level.”
With a clean sheet and goals for both of his strikers to boot, the 48-year old stated with good reason that tonight’s complete performance was one of the best of the season so far.
Singling out his young frontmen for particular praise, Allegri is confident that the future is bright for his Juventus squad not only in the short term but also in the Champions League in years to come.
“I was delighted with every aspect of our play, we showed real desire to take the game by the scruff of the neck and to go and add to our lead after we went 1-0 up.
“We came together impressively as a team and let’s not forget that in (Alvaro) Morata and (Paulo) Dybala we had two young strikers leading the line this evening. With those two in our ranks, we’ve got a very bright future in this competition.”
All in all then, a pleasing 90 minutes of European action for the boss but, with lessons still to be learned for his youthful charges, the hard work does not stop here.
He concluded: “I trust both myself and my players to get our season back on track. The important thing though is that the players learn from the poorer performances when they come around, and to keep developing both as individuals and as a team.”
