Allegri backs Juventus to respond

Massimiliano Allegri is confident Juventus have what it takes to turn things around following their underwhelming start to the 2015-16 campaign.

The reigning champions find themselves sitting 12th in the Serie A table following their defeat to Sassuolo on Wednesday, a fourth loss from 10 matches played.

Allegri though is optimistic his team can get their faltering title defence back on track.

“This team has the required qualities to turn the corner. We must start putting together a consistent run of results,” he told a news conference.

“Against Sassuolo, we didn’t play well from a technical perspective in the first half. After the break we improved, even with 10 men. Our edginess is something that can’t be explained. We simply must improve.

“The criticism is justified. There’s a rule in football: the winners are the smart guys, while those who lose [are criticised].”

Juventus will be looking to return to winning ways on Saturday when they take on city rivals Torino, but Allegri expects a difficult match.

“There are no favourites in a derby. The last two were both good games and this one will also be a hard-fought affair. I’m expecting a classic Torino performance, they’ll look to slow the tempo. They’re a very tough team to play against.

“We’ll keep our sights set on Saturday’s game. Then we’ll focus our thoughts on the Champions League.”