Allegri: ‘The table? It’s like a game of cops and robbers…’

Juventus coach Max Allegri likened the title race to ‘cops and robbers’, insisting that Inter are still the favourites for the Scudetto. The Bianconeri boss was speaking after Juve’s 3-0 win over Sassuolo, a victory that puts them back within 2 points of leaders Inter. Discussing the match and the race for the Serie A title, Allegri likened the long season to cops and robbers, saying the ‘thieves run and the cops give chase’:

“The issue is that we have to win matches. In football only this counts, nothing else. Tonight was not easy. Sassuolo had scored four goals against us in the first leg and tonight too they found solutions with good players. Szczesny made two important saves. We’re happy but we have to think about Sunday’s match in Lecce. We must continue to work. We made a few technical mistakes.

“The substitutes when they came in did well and this is very important for us. We have to work on our limits and improve. Playing against Sassuolo is always complicated. They tend to break up the game and control the play. When they succeed they can do anything. Tonight I gave the boys that it was important to put good pressure on them and slow down their plays. The boys were good at understanding the moments of the game. They showed maturity in managing the moments of the match.”

“Yidiz? It’s hard to find someone who stops the ball and passes it like Yildiz. These are the characteristics that catch my eye. He has innate qualities. Yildiz also has goals in his legs. He’s young and in a while the down moment will come, as it’s normal since he’s 18 years old.”

“The league table is like a game of cops and thieves. The thieves run away, the cops chase. If there is someone in front there has to be someone behind. We have to think game by game, you can’t play two games in one.”