07 May 2017
It may not have been the three points everyone was hoping for but there was no hint of disappointment in Massimiliano Allegri's voice after the Turin derby ended honours even.
A late Gonzalo Higuain strike cancelled out Adem Ljajic's free kick to nudge the Bianconeri a notch higher in the league table.
“We have to see this as a good point as it edges us that bit closer to the Scudetto,” Allegri commented after the match. “We won't be able to win the title tomorrow but we'll try to wrap it up at Roma. We need just three more points now, assuming our rivals win all their games.
“Considering all the matches we've played since the start of the season, I think one like tonight's is par for the course.”
The manager then offered his tactical analysis of the game, stressing the need for his team to bide their time when the occasion demands.
“We played well tonight but we were a bit too rushed at times. We tried too hard to get the early goal when we should have played it around a bit more patiently. When you rush things you make mistakes. We need to stay calm and not mess up because we're trying to overdo things.
“In the first half especially I thought we were trying to play the ball too quickly. We just need to accept the fact that sometimes we must bide our time. You can't always score in football and we used up a lot of energy.”
Asked about his team selection, which included a raft of changes from Wednesday's victory in Monaco, Allegri added: “I've often switched players around between games recently. We need to rest legs up front too. You can't expect to go through a whole season using just 12 players.
“I'm happy with what the lads have been doing and I'm happy with how they played tonight.”
