Maurizio Sarri maintains Juventus always planned to take the sting out of Torino before winning late on. “This was not a game where we could try to be beautiful.”

The Bianconeri were again far from convincing, but scraped a 1-0 win thanks to Matthijs de Ligt volleying in a Gonzalo Higuain knockdown on a corner.

It allowed Juve to stay top of the table, despite Inter beating Bologna 2-1 in stoppages earlier this evening.

Maurizio Sarri maintains Juventus always planned to take the sting out of Torino before winning late on. “This was not a game where we could try to be beautiful.”

The Bianconeri were again far from convincing, but scraped a 1-0 win thanks to Matthijs de Ligt volleying in a Gonzalo Higuain knockdown on a corner.

It allowed Juve to stay top of the table, despite Inter beating Bologna 2-1 in stoppages earlier this evening.

“This was a very difficult game and it was clear Torino would be extremely determined from the start, so the first phase of the plan was just to contain them and take control of the match later on, then close it towards the end,” the coach told DAZN.

“It was a tough game, full of intensity, physicality and tough tackling. It’s not really suited to our characteristics, but we managed to get it done.

“This was not the game where we could try to be beautiful. The opposition’s characteristics, current form and the state of the pitch all meant we were forced to play with elements that aren’t our usual approach, so it’s reassuring that we were able to win anyway.

Sarri was asked about some of the squad rotation this evening, just days before the Champions League trip to Lokomotiv Moscow.

“Bernardeschi has more dynamism and forward runs, whereas Ramsey is better at passing. Ramsey was out injured for a month, but I don’t feel he still has 90 minutes in his legs. It is good to have players who can come off the bench and change gears.

“Alex Sandro seemed a little tired and it was only right to give him some rest. Mattia De Sciglio had been out for a while, so he was a little rusty, but once he too got into the rhythm, he did better.”

Former Ajax defender De Ligt was at the centre of attention, as he risked giving away another penalty for handball, then scored the winner.

“De Ligt struggled in the first 20 minutes, but then got into the game and had a very good second half. He is 19 years old, comes from a much more open and less tactical league than ours, the kind where errors happen and nobody notices.

“It’s only natural he’ll need a period of apprenticeship and he is improving.”

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