Max Allegri is finding it increasingly difficult to deny that Juventus are in the Scudetto race with Inter after beating reigning champions Napoli. “The more we get these results…”
It was another victory for “Corto Muso,” as Allegri likes to call it, alluding to horse races that are won “by the nose,” again decided by defender Federico Gatti.
The central defender also ensured the success against Monza last week and this evening he directed a header past Alex Meret from Andrea Cambiaso’s cross.
While Danilo and Adrien Rabiot have made no secret of the fact that the team is thinking about challenging Inter for the Scudetto, their coach continues to hide this ambition.
“The win tonight was very important because we put Napoli at -12 and that is a great result,” Allegri told DAZN.
“As far as dreams and the Scudetto are concerned, we have to improve step by step, especially if we make too many mistakes. In the first half we did a good job of moving the ball from side to side and in difficult moments the team becomes a block of granite.
“Napoli had a lot of possession but didn’t have a lot of chances and we had the right attitude.”
There were certainly chances for Napoli in the first half when Kvicha Kvaratskhelia shot over the ball one-on-one with the goalkeeper and Wojciech Szczesny then made an extraordinary save to deny Giovanni Di Lorenzo.
“I have a group of guys who work hard. What we need to do is take things slower and not always try to play one-touch football. We should control the ball better in certain moments of the game.”
Allegri was asked in the dressing room whether he would stick to the same line in the title race as he did in front of the media.
“We can even say in the dressing room that we have the ambition to win the Scudetto, but you have to get results. There is no point in talking about what could be, we must focus on what is. The more we play like this, the more we achieve these results, the more we stay away from fifth place and the better we can keep up with the leaders, who are currently the strongest team in the league.
“The boys really want to improve, are very humble and know their limits, so we are working on them. The fact that we don’t lose our heads when we make a mistake is a big step forward.”
The reporters tried a different tack, asking Allegri if beating Milan and Napoli, then drawing against Inter, made Juventus a “big” team?
“Of course head-to-head games have their weight, but games like the next ones in Genoa also have their weight. This is football, sometimes there are moments of great excitement, sometimes depression, but we have to try to find a balance in all things.
“After the mistake on this counterattack, in which we risked conceding a similar goal to Inter, the team did not lose perspective. This is a sign of maturity.
“Even when Osimhen’s goal was disallowed, we weren’t worried. There are areas where we need to improve, but mentally there is already progress.”
Dusan Vlahovic was forced out with a muscular problem, but initial reports suggest it is nothing serious.
Gatti scoring so many goals fits the image of Juventus, which has always relied more on water carriers than creative figures.
“Vlahovic dominated his opponents tonight, Chiesa did well, but both realized that they had to work for the team, press hard and keep the tempo high.
“Juventus, let’s not hide it, has had in its DNA for 120 years that you get results through hard work and commitment.”
2023-12-08 22:21:07
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