Allegri rubbishes fears over Juventus form

Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri has dismissed any suggestion that he is concerned over the way his side are playing this season.

The Serie A champions have won eight of their opening 10 games in all competitions, including all of their last five, in which they have conceded just one goal.

Questions have been raised over their performances, however, with Saturday’s 2-1 win over Udinese coming courtesy of a Paulo Dybala penalty, while they were frustrated for over an hour in the 3-0 victory at Empoli on October 2.

But Allegri insists that winning trophies is all that matters for him and his players as they attempt to make it two wins from three games in Champions League Group H against Lyon on Tuesday.

“It doesn’t worry me that people say Juventus are winning without playing well,” he said. “I don’t know what ‘playing well’ means.

“The result is what matters. People remember who wins titles, not who plays ‘well’.

“At Juventus, we have our own characteristics and with those characteristics our aim is always to go as far as possible in each competition we take part in. 

“What’s more important than the system is getting players out onto the field based on their qualities. We’re trying to change the way we play at the moment, not the system.”

Defender Giorgio Chiellini and striker Mario Mandzukic will miss the trip to France with respective thigh and adductor injuries.

Allegri, however, is not unduly concerned by those losses and gave Juve fans a boost with the news that Claudio Marchisio is close to a return from his lengthy recovery from knee surgery.

“I’m not worried by having players out injured,” Allegri said. “We have other players who can make the difference against a very organised Lyon side.

“It was a shame to lose Mandzukic. Chiellini is out, but we don’t expect it to be for long. Marchisio is close to a comeback.”