‘We have to win’ – Massimiliano Allegri rallies his troops to face Maccabi Haifa | OneFootball

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Football Today

·4 October 2022

‘We have to win’ – Massimiliano Allegri rallies his troops to face Maccabi Haifa

Article image:‘We have to win’ – Massimiliano Allegri rallies his troops to face Maccabi Haifa

Massimiliano Allegri has called on his Juventus side to fight for a win as they prepare to take on Maccabi Haifa tomorrow night.

The Bianconeri have fallen short of expectations this season, and their poor league form has translated into the Champions League.


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Allegri’s side have lost their opening two Group H games to Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain and underdogs SL Benfica.

The Italian manager still has the backing of the club’s hierarchy, but there must be an upturn in their fortunes or he may yet find himself out of a job.

Speaking ahead of the clash with the Israeli league leaders (via Di Marzio), Allegri refused to underestimate his opponents and said it will not be easy to play them.

“We face a team that runs, presses, and plays all along,” he said. “It will be a complicated game, and it won’t be easy at all like all Champions League matches.

“We need to repeat the race against Bologna and improve on a technical level. We need to have great respect for Maccabi Haifa, and it won’t be as simple as everyone expects.”

Allegri went on to warn his side that nothing but a win will be enough to keep their hopes of progressing from the group stages alive.

“We have zero points, and we have to win,” he added. “We must not be anxious and in a hurry. The important thing is not to overdo it.

“Training? Surely there will be some change from the race against Bologna, I still have to decide. Tomorrow we have to follow up on the last test.

“My teams have never played so badly, but in the first year here, we risked going out at home against Olympiacos.

“Until mathematics condemns us, we will try to pass the turn. Tomorrow we have to put the first brick.”

Juventus will enter the tie off the back of a 3-0 win over Bologna last weekend in what was only their third league victory of the season.

Maccabi are rooted to the bottom of the group after losing their first two games, so they will be looking to upset the Serie A giants.

Allegri’s position as head coach has come under scrutiny, and he will be hoping his side can secure successive victories across all competitions for the first time this season.

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