MY ACCOUNT
Massimiliano Allegri freed his Juventus players to go home and “hug their families” after they lifted the gloom with a 1-0 Derby della Mole win over Torino.
Dusan Vlahovic scored the only goal of the game in the 74th minute to settle the derby at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino on Saturday.
Under-pressure head coach Allegri had ordered his players to report for a training retreat after a 2-0 midweek Champions League defeat at Maccabi Haifa, which came on the back of a Serie A loss at Milan.
The Juve squad were put through their paces in double training sessions before facing their city rivals.
Allegri, who was given the backing of president Andrea Agnelli following a loss to Maccabi that left the Bianconeri facing a Champions League exit, says his players would not need to remain in their retreat after stopping the rot.
He told DAZN: “I told the guys that the team would be going home tonight to hug the families again.”
Allegri made four changes to his starting line-up and went with a three-man defence in only a fourth Serie A win of the season for Juve, who moved up a place to seventh in the table.
The Bianconeri boss said it was the way his players approached the game that made the difference.
He said: “I was very serene on the bench because I saw that the team was playing a serious game.”
Allegri added: “Regardless of the tactical part, today I liked the attitude. In a race the more duels you win, the more you have the chance to win the game.
“Football has evolved a lot, but this is always a topical aspect.”
Juve’s victory was also their first away from home this season and Allegri says they must kick on.
He said: “Today the boys showed that they are a team, an important group. The boys played a good match and I’m happy because it’s the first away win.
“I’m sorry for this period, but sometimes there are things that go beyond what we can do. Today we took a first step, the team responded well, but now we have to continue.”
