Max Allegri hailed Juventus for their “patience” to beat Napoli at the end of “a very tactical match” and become leaders.
The 1-0 result was decided at the 88th minute by a sudden Simone Zaza snapshot.
“It was a very tactical match,” the Bianconeri boss told Sky Sport Italia.
Max Allegri hailed Juventus for their “patience” to beat Napoli at the end of “a very tactical match” and become leaders.
The 1-0 result was decided at the 88th minute by a sudden Simone Zaza snapshot.
“It was a very tactical match,” the Bianconeri boss told Sky Sport Italia.
“We have this objective in our sights. It’ll be very difficult, as there are 13 games to go and Napoli again proved themselves to be a very good side both individually and as a unit.
“It was a balanced encounter and only a moment could change it. I compliment the lads for their performance and their patience.
“We needed this attitude and tempo, because the likes of Higuain, Callejon, Insigne, Allan and Hamsik can cause huge problems if they run into space. The lads did really well to block off the spaces between the lines.
“Apart from that chance in the first half stopped by Leonardo Bonucci’s intervention, we allowed Napoli very little.
“We had to go back to playing four at the back tonight and it’s a good sign, as it means we can play with this system and have guarantees.
“It was a sort of lopsided 4-4-2, as we don’t have a winger on the left and used Paul Pogba there.”
Juventus have notched up 15 consecutive victories, a new club record and just two off the all-time Serie A best of 17 set by Inter.
Allegri’s decisions proved decisive, as Zaza came off the bench to score.
“At that time I made the tactical change so we had Alex Sandro going one-on-one against the Napoli full-back. I knew only an incident could shake up the balance of the match and Zaza provided it.
“It was a tactical game and Napoli used up a lot of energy, as Insigne and Callejon were practically wingers and therefore had to run 50 metres on every counter to reach the goal.
“We could’ve done a little better in possession, but we played with great authority.”
It’s a remarkable situation considering Juventus had their worst ever Serie A start to a season.
“Nothing happens by chance. We started with seven or eight new players, had some injuries and other unfavourable situations, but once we found our shape and organisation we improved both as individuals and a unit.
“The so-called oldies went back to leading the way and everything went well. I always tell the players we can’t have just one system and that situations change during a game, so we must we quick to read those situations and adjust.
“Daniele Rugani did very well coming off the bench in a difficult situation. Andrea Barzagli had an extraordinary match, as did Bonucci until he got that knock.
“We do need more patience and to improve in possession, as especially in the Champions League with Bayern Munich we will need a lot of patience and hard work.”