MY ACCOUNT
Massimiliano Allegri has told his Juventus players not to let their heads drop after being thumped 5-1 by Napoli as there is still plenty to play for this season.
Juve missed the chance to close the gap on Napoli at the top of Serie A, instead slipping 10 points behind the leaders with their heavy loss at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
The Bianconeri entered Friday’s contest on an eight-match winning run without conceding, but they shipped five times in a league match for the first time in close to 30 years.
Allegri has no complaints with the scoreline and is now looking for a quick response when Juve face Monza in the Coppa Italia last 16 next Thursday.
“There are some defeats that are deserved and some that are undeserved. This time it was deserved,” Allegri told DAZN.
“We had the strength to try to turn it around, but it didn’t turn out like that. We can’t let our heads drop because there’s a long road ahead.
“We must congratulate Napoli. We were low on energy and were too deep for the first 20 minutes. We had good chances but every time they had a shot they could’ve scored.
“It is now about getting back on our feet, recovering energy and starting work again. The championship race is long so we must look forward.”
Juve’s run of 770 minutes without conceding in Serie A – their fifth-longest streak – was ended by Victor Osimhen early on before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia added a second.
Angel Di Maria pulled one back for Juventus before half-time, but Amir Rrahmani restored Napoli’s two-goal cushion and Osimhen’s second put the game out of reach.
Substitute Elif Elmas then added a fifth for Napoli, who made it four home league wins in a row against Juve for just the second time in their history.
Asked why his side crumbled so badly in the second half in Naples, Allegri said: “You don’t always have to find justification.
“These goals we conceded, that wouldn’t have happened had we had more energy. After the third goal, the world falls in on you.
“Osimhen had an extraordinary match and Napoli are showing they are the strongest team. Maybe in two months things will change. What is valid today is not valid tomorrow.”
