Massimiliano Allegri, who has yet to win a Serie A match since returning to Juventus, has singled out Milan’s visit to Turin as the ‘most important game of the season.’ While the Rossoneri painted their early exchanges with flying colors, the Bianconeri have yet to get off the mark in Serie A under the returning manager.
Fresh from a 3-0 thumping of Swedish side Malmo in their Champions League curtain-raiser, Juventus will hope to translate their solid European display to the domestic front. It’s been a painful start to the new Serie A season for the record-time Italian champions so far.
Juventus remain one of just six Serie A teams yet pick up a league victory this season, as they sit at a single point from three games ahead of the kick-off. Last weekend’s underwhelming 2-1 defeat in Naples puts the Bianconeri in an awkward spot going into this fixture. A potential loss here would mark Juve’s worst-ever start to a new top-flight campaign.
Allegri, who led Juventus to five straight Serie A titles during his first spell at the club, believes that Sunday’s encounter could change the course of his side’s season. The Italian manager also hailed Milan’s progress over the past couple of years.
“It’s one of the most important games of the season, perhaps the most important one. Milan have improved over the last two seasons, they’ve been playing together for almost three years,” he said, as cited by Black&White&RedAllOver.
“We are growing, we have good expectations, but it will be more important for them than for us. Milan played a great game in Liverpool, it wasn’t easy. It proves they have personality, it will be a great game tomorrow.”
Allegri refused to draw any comparisons between this Juventus side and his trophy-laden generation last time out.
“I’ve found a different Juventus. We can’t compare this Juventus with the team of the past. This team has its own identity. We must become a team, improving under many aspects, but it’s just a different Juventus.
“Five games are remaining before the break, everybody must feel important, whether they start or come off the bench.
“We could have had more points, but this was not the case. We need to improve all together, I need to understand who can make an impact coming off the bench during the game, but the more we go ahead, the easier it is to understand my players.
“After the break, in November, we’ll make our assessments but I think we’ll be in a different position at that point. This is a very balanced league, without a top team that can win easily. It’s easy to lose points, but it can be easy to recover as well.
“For sure, we’ll play a great game tomorrow, then we can’t know the result already. The devil invented football and games can change very quickly. We need to be balanced, work hard have the desire and the ambition to improve.
“Juventus must play to win the title, not just single games. To do it, you must have consistency, work hard and be focused all the time.“