31 December 2017
Massimiliano Allegri cut a satisfied figure after his team’s 3-1 defeat of Hellas Verona, highlighting the importance of the result in the context of the title race.
“Playing away from home five times in seven, which is what has happened to us, is not easy,” the head coach began. “This is why it was a decisive moment in our season. Tonight it was important to increase the gap on those behind us and remain close to Napoli, who are doing extraordinarily well.”
Despite allowing himself to enjoy the three points, the coach was careful to highlight some parts of the game where the Bianconeri struggled.
“During the end of the first half and up until their goal, we stopped playing, allowed them to counter and misplaced a lot of passes. We found it tough on the right side because [Stephan] Lichtsteiner was isolated and [Sami] Khedira couldn’t get across in time from the centre, so I opted to change things during the interval.
“We woke up after conceding and if we hadn’t, we would have risked dropping points at a tough place to go, against a team that have been playing well recently.”
DYBALA’S BRACE
“I’m pleased for Dybala,” Allegri continued. “It’s important he scored again and after getting his goal he actually played better – his set pieces improved as well. The mental side is crucial and he's relaxed.
“He has a path to follow and he needs to focus purely on improving day by day. His objective must be to become the best player in the world along with Neymar within the next three years.
“As for Lichtsteiner’s performance, Stephan is one of those who has won six league titles,” the coach concluded. “He plays with heart and technical quality. He played well and I’m happy because he’s important for us.”
