Allegri aims to be positive despite Italian champions’ cagey win
Juventus target full points against Zagreb in Champions League after 1-0 win over Palermo
Massimiliano Allegri insists focus is fully on claiming the first points of their Champions League campaign after a cagey 1-0 win at Palermo on Saturday maintained the early-season doubts hanging over Juventus.
The Italian champions travel to Dinamo Zagreb tomorrow looking for the win that would get their Group H campaign up and running two weeks after a scoreless draw in Turin against Sevilla.
But, unlike Napoli, who cruised to a 2-0 win at home to Chievo and saw Marek Hamsik hit a cracking 100th goal for the club days before they welcome Benfica to the San Paolo, Juventus were put through the wringer.
Allegri, who paired Gonzalo Higuain and Mario Mandzukic up front for the first time, saw a flawed performance.
“In technical terms we should have done much better, but we take the three points home with us,” Allegri told Sky Sport.
Defender Leonardo Bonucci was more candid: “In technical terms, we made a lot of mistakes and when you play for Juventus that can’t happen. “Palermo defended well throughout. We have to use this game as a stepping stone to improving.”
Two good
Asked about the MandzukicHiguain pairing, Allegri added: “If you ask me, they did well. It was the first time they played up front together and today I wanted to see how they would fare.”
“But now we look to Zagreb, where we want to win.”
Juventus started this season being talked of as possible winners, two years after being outclassed 3-1 by Barcelona in the Berlin final.
But they have failed to score in the competition so far, and Allegri added: “We need to start scoring. Against Sevilla we played well but that’s in the past and now we have Dinamo.”
Allegri rested Dybala in place of Mandzukic, a choice that almost paid dividends when the Croatia international came close on several occasions.
– AFP