01 November 1897
Massimiliano Allegri has urged his men to end their 2015/16 Serie A campaign in style by signing off with a win against Sampdoria tomorrow evening in Turin.
A sell-out Juventus Stadium crowd will see captain Gianluigi Buffon lift the club’s 34th Scudetto title following the game’s completion, but Allegri says there is more to the evening than just title celebrations.
He believes that all three points will enable the Bianconeri to approach next weekend’s Coppa Italia final showdown with Milan in the best possible frame of mind, enabling them to regain their stride following Sunday’s shock defeat at Hellas Verona.
Here is a selection of his quotes from today’s press conference:
Sign off in style
“Tomorrow’s aim is to sign off our Serie A campaign in style, celebrate in front of our fans and get back on the right track from a psychological point of view ahead of our Coppa Italia final on 21 May.“
Coppa Italia build-up
“We’ll rest up on Sunday and train Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday before departing for Rome in the afternoon. On Friday we’ll go and visit the Pope, then we’ll train at the Stadio Olimpico and play on the Saturday night.”
Team news
“Neto will play in goal as it’s only fair to allow him some game time ahead of the final. Barzagli, Bonucci and Chiellini will start. Hernanes is to operate in front of the defence, while Pogba and Evra will play, as Alex Sandro is suspended. Pereyra should start, while Mandzukic and Dybala will be my pairing up front. The only injury we have is Khedira, who is unlikely to feature in the final. ”
Sami Khedira
“He’s played 25 games this year. Twenty of these have come in Serie A, four in the Champions League and one in the Coppa Italia. He’s performed well because he’s a quality player. He’ll have to be handled better next year, but I’m happy with his contribution, especially seeing as he endured two stop-start seasons before coming to us.”
Alvaro Morata
“He took a knock in the last game he played and suffered heavy bruising which ruled him out of the Verona match. He’s been back working with the team for two days and will therefore be available both for tomorrow and our Coppa Italia final against Milan."
