Ahead of the Serie A match against Atalanta, scheduled to kick off at 20h45 CET on Sunday, 13 February, Massimilano Allegri didn’t hide the importance of the showdown when he spoke to the press.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
“Tomorrow is a head to head for fourth place. It’s not decisive but it is an important step. Atalanta have shown over these recent years to have earned the right to be a contender for a top-four finish. They will be fired up because they have just been knocked out of the cup.
"We need to have a good approach and be prepared for a physical, technical match.”
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
“Gian Piero Gasperini has done an amazing job at Atalanta. He’s done wonders in the Champions League too - they were close to reaching the final. I can only compliment him on how he’s got the most out of his team.
“Although Atalanta have many strengths, we need to aim for their weaknesses.”
ALL ROUND CONTRIBUTION
“I don’t know just how the lads that played on Thursday are feeling. They have given a lot over these last two matches. After training today I’ll decide. A positive aspect is that the substitutes have made an impact. It’s important that players who come on are ready to make a contribution, independently of who starts.
“We’re coming off a positive run over 12 to 13 matches. The episodes working in our favour are the fruit of our work. We’ve reached the semi-finals of the Italian Cup. Turning back to Serie A, the further you go , the more difficult it is to collect points because they begin to become scarce for everybody.”
REFERENCE POINT
“It’s clear that with a reference point in attack, everybody benefits, Paulo Dybala included. We were missing a player of Vlahovic’s characteristics. Zakaria is a good footballer. He found a team that was ready and physically already strong.
“Apart from Federico Bernardeschi and Giorgio Chiellini who are out, al the other players are in form.”
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
“With a game every three days, this is what I told the squad, ‘The further we go in all competitions the more of a chance every player has of playing.’
“There is still plenty of room for improvement, for example, in the choice of the last pass. Every player can improve and must improve, that’s why we work in training every day. We haven’t achieved anything yet. We need to make it normal that Juventus win matches.”
DECISIVE MOMENT
“Our aim is to finish in the top 4. We have Atalanta, then the derby - this is the decisive moment of the season. The top three are too far ahead if you consider that potentially Inter have an 11-point lead. It’s easier for Napoli and Milan to close the gap on them, while it’s a lot more difficult for us. We need to concentrate on Atalanta.
“This match is not a decider, though. It is important but it is not decisive.”