Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has warned that any slip-ups over the next 10 games could hand Napoli their first Serie A title in 26 years.
The Italian champions sit just three points ahead of Napoli ahead of a crucial meeting with giant-killers Sassuolo on Friday and Allegri says now is the time to focus.
“It’s a race against the clock, now we’re on the downhill section and it’s the most dangerous part. We have to be careful of any slip-ups,” said Allegri.
“We’ve got 10 games remaining but from Sassuolo (on Friday) to Torino (next week) a fairly big chunk of the league title will be at stake. A fifth consecutive title would be extraordinary and it remains our primary objective.” Juventus, who last won a fifth title on the trot in 1935, host Sassuolo on Friday to allow adequate rest ahead of their trip to Munich next week when the Italians will look to upset Bayern and qualify for the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the second successive year.
Allegri led Juventus to their first league and Cup double in 20 years and their first Champions League final since 2003 in what was his first season in charge but overcoming Pep Guardiola’s men after fighting their way back to level 2-2 in the last 16 first leg over a fortnight ago looks a tall order at the Allianz Arena.
With an incredible Napoli side – for whom Argentinian Gonzalo Higuain has hit 26 league goals so far – keeping Juve on their toes in Serie A, Allegri appeared to admit that the pressure of repeating their European feats of last season is becoming just a little too much.
“The Champions League remains within our grasp, but we can’t treat it as an obsession,” added the Italian. “I would sign right now for two trophies (league and Cup), but it won’t be easy because Napoli are having an extraordinary championship.” Now in his second season with the Turin giants, Allegri has recently played down reports that he has been negotiating with Chelsea with a view to taking over at Stamford Bridge next season.
With Napoli expected to account for Palermo on their trip to Sicily on Sunday, Juventus can ill afford to drop points on Friday when Sassuolo, in seventh at seven points behind Inter Milan in fifth spot, will be aiming to keep alive their faint hopes of Europa League football next season.
The visitors travel north amid reports that their coach Eusebio Di Francesco could take over from Sinisa Mihajlovic at AC Milan next season, but Di Francesco is far from cowed.
“It’s always nice to be linked to big clubs, but I believe I still have a lot of room for improvement and I feel very happy where I am,” he said. “We’ll be going to Turin in great condition and with the objective of playing our game and trying to beat Juventus.” Milan are only four points behind Inter in sixth place but Mihajlovic’s men will realistically have to win every game if they are to fulfil their objective of finishing third and giving themselves a chance of Champions League football for the first time in three seasons.
The Rossoneri are away to Chievo on Sunday, when Roma – now in third at eight points behind Juventus and nine ahead of Milan – face a potentially tricky trip to Udinese.
