A shift of focus from Serie A to Coppa Italia as Juventus prepare for the semi-final first leg against Inter. In the lead-up to tomorrow evening's match Massimiliano Allegri spoke to the press gathered at the Allianz Stadium. The coach played down the importance of Inter's downturn in league form, highlighting the Nerazzurri's strength in cup competition.
BALANCE IS KEY
“We need to put ourselves in the position so we can qualify for the next round. Right now we need to keep our feet on the ground because too much praise can make us lose our grip on reality. We hope to reach the final, we will do our best.
"In football you need to have a balance beyond the results, positive and negative. It needs just two games to change public opinion. Milan had been given up for dead and yet they went on to dominate their match at Napoli. Above all else, balance must reign at Continassa. I've got no time for those who get caught up in the enthusiasm or get depressed. We need to be balanced, no result should knock us off balance mentally."
THE OPPOSITION
"Tomorrow we're up against a strong team. I think Simone [Inzaghi] is doing a great job at Inter. [When he was] at Lazio, they won the most trophies after Juve. With him, Inter have won the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa. Although they are not going through a positive period in terms of results, they remain a strong side. Teams like Inter when they are having difficultie are even more dangerous. We must pay maximum attention."
TEAM NEWS
“[Federico] Chiesa is available. The check-up in Austria confirmed that his knee is fine apart from a slightly inflamed tendon. Tomorrow he will be on the bench. There are five forwards now, but we have many games to face."
“Alex Sandro is fine, he's feeling better and has trained but I think it will be hard for him to take part in the match. He will be available though. We have [Daniele] Rugani who is fine, so I have five defenders. [Leonardo] Bonucci is recovering. From Wednesday he will start training with the team. Yesterday [Paul] Pogba did a good partial session in training with the team, so from Wednesday he will work on his physical condition. These are the ones, as well as Kaio, that will remain out of the squad."
END OF SEASON RUN-IN
“Juve are used to playing every three days. We must tackle each game one at a time. Playing every three days in this period means being within touching disatance of our objectives. We need to be good enough so we have a full calendar also in May.”