Max Allegri blames his players for ‘not understanding’ how to approach Cagliari, suggesting they were trying tiki-taka techniques rather than ‘get their hands dirty.’
It was another far from convincing performance in Sardinia, as although they managed to claw their way back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with a Dusan Vlahovic free kick and Alberto Dossena own goal, they expected more from this fixture.
This is the sixth consecutive Serie A away game without victory, their worst run since 2009-10. What went wrong in the first half?
“Simple, we allowed seven counter-attacks and were constantly trying these tik-tak passes to someone a metre away and getting it wrong,” Allegri told Sky Sport Italia, describing a rather Italian version of the Spanish tiki-taka.
“Against aggressive sides like Cagliari, you need to wage battle. We didn’t understand that was the situation, especially with the ball not really rolling on that pitch, we had to hit it long instead.
“We allowed seven counter-attacks, we got a lot wrong technically, and when you play at this stage of the season, you will lose if you don’t match the opponents for intensity. That is why Cagliari players all had cramp at the end, they gave their all. In those situations, you either match them for intensity or get out of it with technical precision, and we did neither.”
Attitude problem
It is hardly the first time this season that Juventus have had a sluggish start to a match, only to raise their game in the second half. Is it an issue of mentality?
“We got back into the game, but this has to make us think. If we don’t run as hard as the opponents, we will rarely be able to win the game with technical quality, especially at the start.
“It is good that we showed such determination, but we cannot keep gifting the first half. We conceded the second penalty from a throw-in, the first was a counter-attack from a misplaced pass.
“We need to understand the initial approach, which is a sign of maturity. It is always difficult to play well in Cagliari, because the pitch is quite slow and the ball doesn’t move quickly. It’s always been a battle for my teams here and we didn’t understand the situation.
“If you want to step up a level and aim for something more, you need to understand this type of match. It’s a process that this young group is going through, they’ve got to learn to get their hands dirty and dive into the duels. As long as Cagliari kept that tempo up, we had to match them and at least keep the game on even terms so that when they got tired, our technique would start to make the difference. We didn’t do that.”
Alcaraz experiment
The coach tried Carlos Alcaraz in midfield, abandoning that experiment at half-time and trying another when he finally bowed to pressure by using Kenan Yildiz, Federico Chiesa and Vlahovic simultaneously.
He later threw on Arkadiusz Milik and Samuel Iling-Junior too, trying every attacking option he had in the squad.
“On the strength of the first half performance, I should’ve changed everyone – including myself! I saw some unbelievable technical errors. It’s a pity we didn’t get the three points, but I knew that we would need patience and to gradually get there. I hope this will be a learning experience for them.”
Juve now have to prepare for Tuesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final against Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico, protecting a 2-0 first leg advantage.
“We need to reach the Final, that is all. We’re up against a good Lazio side and if we play the way we did tonight in the first half without winning a duel, then we’ll be in trouble. We will try to be different.”