13 September 2017
Max Allegri dismissed suggestions that his side have gone backwards following a 3-0 loss at Barcelona.
“We played well in the first half but you have to take your chances in games like these,” he began. “If you don’t, they have a player like Leo Messi who can turn a game.
“In the second period you have to be strong enough to withstand what they throw at you. Teams like Barça can be devastating in space. We afforded them three breaks and conceded three times. We made a lot of mistakes in any case during the second period,” said Allegri in reference to the goals his side conceded.
“We played superbly against them at home last season, making the most of our chances but this is a new Champions League campaign and we have to get back into the swing of the competition and then Serie A to secure three points on Sunday.
“Gonzalo Higuain made a good start and he needs to relax like all of us. It would have been cocky of us to imagine coming here and dominating.
"Medhi Benatia played well in the first half but everyone struggled after the break – it’s tough to defend once the game gets stretched.
“There are no excuses,” concluded Allegri in reference to the injured absentees. “We should have stayed in the game longer without trying to force it and leaving Messi too much space.”
