Juventus have sent out a clear statement of intent with the 2-0 win over Inter Milan in the Sunday night Serie A match, but manager Massimiliano Allegri believes that it is the strength of his bench that would ultimately make the difference in their attempt to win the title.
The Bianconeri are currently sitting pretty at the top of the table, after having had to fight to that position following a poor start to the season. In the Sunday night match, it was a good performance by both first team regular Leonardo Bonucci and second half substitute Alvaro Morata, that gave Juve the two goals against Inter Milan.
“We’re making a very good habit of seeing our substitutes come off the bench and swing matches in our favour and tonight was no different,” Allegri was quoted as saying by Juventus’s official website. “By the end of the season there will be guys who will have played 40 matches, while others will have only featured in ten. At the end of the day though, it’s the latter that will be the difference between us lifting the title and finishing as runners-up.”
Allegri was referring to the fact that both his second-string strikers Alvaro Morata and Simone Zaza have made impacts on the game in their crucial Serie A matches against Inter Milan and Napoli respectively.
Is Allegri’s statement a response to Morata’s celebration?
Alvaro Morata had a brilliant 2014/15 season in Turin, getting regular starts under Allegri. This season however, the former Real Madrid player has lost his regular spot, with the rise of players like Paulo Dybala and Mario Mandzukic. This has clearly not gone down well with the Spaniard. Thus, after scoring the second Juve goal against Inter from a penalty that he himself had won, Morata immediately ran off towards Allegri’s technical area, indulging in a celebration that seemed to be aimed towards his manager, implying that he could continue to deliver such results, if he were to get more starts.
This performance from Morata would certainly make a good case for his inclusion in the Juventus starting lineup. The Bianconeri are set to play another match against Inter in midweek, and this time round it is a Coppa Italia semi final second leg clash. Allegri’s men already lead the tie 3-0 from the first leg, and would be looking to get themselves to the final of the competition. This match could be a good chance for Allegri to give starts to the likes of Morata and Zaza.
