Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri tried to play down the importance of Sunday night’s Serie A showdown with title rivals Napoli despite knowing his side can all-but seal the league with a win.
Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri tried to play down the importance of Sunday night’s Serie A showdown with title rivals Napoli despite knowing his side can all-but seal the league with a win.
Six-time defending champions Juve can go seven points clear of Napoli with a home win at the Allianz Stadium.
But even if they do so, subsequent league games against high-flying Inter Milan and Roma, as well as AC Milan in the Coppa Italia final early next month, present significant hurdles for Allegri's side.
"Now we are heading into a mini-league in which we have a four-point lead with five matches remaining,” he told juventus.com.
“Juventus v Napoli is important and will be a great game, but not decisive.
"We must be ready not only for the match, but for this final stage of the season in which we will also face Inter and Roma, as well as Milan in the cup final."
Turning his attention to this Sunday’s opposition, Allegri added: "Napoli have been going for the title since the start and we know this is a crucial match for them.
"They're enjoying an extraordinary season, as they have in recent campaigns.
"Maurizio Sarri has done a fantastic job there. He has technically gifted players and he has created a team that plays a great brand of football. They have become a major force in Italy and Europe."
Both Allegri and Sarri have been linked with moves to the Premier League this summer as both are on the lists for potential jobs at Arsenal and Chelsea.
Only full-back Mattia De Sciglio and midfielder Stefano Sturaro are definitely sidelined through injury but Allegri will need to check on centre-back Andrea Barzagli's condition before the game.
Playmaker Miralem Pjanic should return to the starting XI and the fit-again duo of Paulo Dybala and Juan Cuadrado are likely to feature alongside Gonzalo Higuain in a three-pronged attack.
Unfortunately for Napoli, three key players are doubtful before the big game. Prolific winger Dries Mertens, Polish striker Arkadiusz Milik and the influential captain Marek Hamsik will be assessed.
Azzurri boss Sarri told sscnapoli.it: "In Turin we will play with our system, there is no other way.
"After this match there will be four others so focusing solely on Sunday is not wise.
"We have to keep travelling along our road, game by game."
Napoli's run-in looks perhaps a little easier than Juve's, with games against Fiorentina, Torino, Sampdoria and Crotone bringing the southerners to the end of a fruitful campaign.
Follow Sporting Life on social media - find us on Facebook here or tweet @SportingLife
Related football links
