26 January 2016
Massimiliano Allegri says Juventus must transform their enthusiasm into focus as they continue their push for silverware in three separate competitions.
Eleven straight Serie A wins and last week’s Coppa Italia last eight victory over Lazio have kept the Bianconeri on course for a domestic double but with a two-legged semi-final showdown against Inter kicking off tomorrow, Allegri is keen for his men to keep their feet firmly on the ground.
Previewing the fixture in Vinovo, he began: "We’ve worked well recently and all my players are in good shape. We must not allow ourselves to think about what’s already been done, instead we need to take things on a game-by-game basis.
"We must transform this enthusiasm into level headedness because we still haven’t achieved anything. For now we’ll focus on the Coppa Italia, which is our first target to chase.”
Standing between the Old Lady and a spot in the final are an Inter side whose title charge has been somewhat derailed in recent weeks following a return of two points from their last available nine in Serie A.
But Allegri is adamant that Roberto Mancini’s charges should not be underestimated and is backing them to give the Bianconeri a run for their money across the double header.
"I wouldn’t say Inter are in trouble at all. They are in the hunt for the title and I expect them to come out fired up and hungry to get a result. It will be a tough match and we mustn’t forget that it’s only the first leg, with the final outcome decided over the course of 180 minutes."
With 180 minutes of Coppa Italia action to play and plenty of Serie A fixtures on the horizon, a question on potential alterations to Allegri’s starting line-up for tomorrow evening was inevitable.
The Tuscan confirmed that Sami Khedira will miss out on the encounter after playing an “intense” 90 minutes on Sunday against Roma, yet remained tight-lipped when asked about the involvement of others.
"Changes will be made. Khedira will miss out because he played on Sunday and I would rather rest him ahead of this weekend’s match. I will have a look at Hernanes seeing as he is in good shape and (Claudio) Marchisio’s on a yellow card.
"(Juan) Cuadrado’s coming along very well. He has improved physically, technically and tactically. He knows how to change games with his quality and is capable of playing both from the start or coming off the bench. There’s a chance he’ll start tomorrow.
“(Paul) Pogba already sat out the game against Udinese and I’ll make my decision tomorrow. (Kwadwo) Asamoah’s there and ready to play. As far as (Paulo) Dybala’s concerned, I don’t have to always go with the same players. I need to keep my squad fresh because we must win as many games as possible."
