03 January 2018
Massimiliano Allegri was full of praise for his side after they secured a Coppa Italia semi-final berth for the fourth successive year with a 2-0 win over Torino at Allianz Stadium on Wednesday night.
"This is a great result and I’m happy with the way the team played, especially since we made seven changes from the team that played on Saturday," said the Juventus coach after the final whistle.
"We looked shaky on a couple of occasions at the start as a result of a lack of focus on our part, plus Torino had a good first half, but it’s not easy for teams to face Juventus right now. We created a lot in the second half so I’m pleased. Now we need to make one last push on Saturday."
Allegri’s side will take on Atalanta in the semi-finals after they knocked out Napoli on Tuesday.
"They’re a physical, technically gifted and well-organised team," said the coach. "It will be difficult, but we’ll be ready. The Coppa Italia is just as important as the league and the Champions League. It’s always a good night in Rome in May, so let’s hope the lads get us there."
Despite the result, Allegri was keen to stress that Juventus still have work to do.
"After a run of big performances, the team tends to take its foot off the gas a bit," he explained, speaking exclusively to Juventus TV. "We let in a goal for 1-1 at Verona due to a mistake in playing it out from the back, then we lost our shape in the five minutes that followed and looked shaky. We dropped too deep in the final quarter of an hour this evening – that’s something we need to work on."
The game was also an opportunity for Allegri to give a chance to some of the players that have featured less this season.
"[Stefano] Sturaro took a knock on his knee and couldn’t come back on – he did some things well and others less well, but he showed good character," he said. "[Claudio] Marchisio played well for 50 minutes. He had a bit of a sore adductor muscle, but it’s nothing to worry about.
"We have to make changes when we’re playing every three days. [Gonzalo] Higuain had played lots and lots of games. I had to rest some players because we have another must-win game on Saturday."
