MY ACCOUNT
Massimiliano Allegri said Juventus are like an Easter Egg, “there’s always a surprise” as the Bianconeri head coach called for more consistency amid a stuttering start to the Serie A season.
While Juventus qualified for the Champions League last 16 as group winners ahead of Chelsea, the Italian giants are fifth domestically and already 11 points off the pace.
Allegri’s second spell in the Turin dugout has resulted in eight wins in 16 matches, with five defeats ahead of Saturday’s trip to Venezia.
“[Saturday’s] game is a high-risk one, if we interpret it in a certain way,” Allegri told reporters.
“I think the players have understood the importance of this match. Therefore, we will certainly put on a good display.
“Let’s see the game. It’s always Easter for us, you know, we’re like an egg, there’s always a surprise inside. Let’s hope it’s a good one tomorrow [Saturday].”
Juventus have kept a clean sheet in four of their last five league games (W4 L1), as many as they had in the previous 29 matches in the competition.
Meanwhile, Juve have won, without conceding, in their last two Serie A away matches – they last kept a clean sheet in three such matches in a row in December 2018, under Allegri.
“Regarding [finishing in] first place [in the Champions League], it’s a source of satisfaction, but we can’t think about the Champions League right now,” Allegri said.
“We have to think about the league, where we are clearly behind. Therefore we have to work on a daily basis and game after game to try and give some stability to our table.
“It is a matter of scoring percentages. We are clearly below the average, so we need to be more focused and clinical in front of the goal.
“At the moment, our scoring percentage in relation to the opportunities we create is too low for a club like Juventus. We need five chances to score a goal.”
