Allegri bemoans Juventus' 'worst first half' as Bianconeri lose to Monza again

By Sports Desk January 29, 2023

Massimiliano Allegri said Juventus "never had a first half like" their poor showing against Monza on Sunday.

The Bianconeri went in 2-0 down to the visitors at the break and were unable to turn it around in the second-half as Raffaele Palladino's men completed a league double over them.

Goals from Patrick Ciurria and Dany Mota were enough for Monza to secure a 2-0 win at Allianz Stadium, following their 1-0 win against Juve earlier in the season in Palladino's first game in charge.

Monza became only the second team ever to win both their first two games against Juventus in Serie A, after Inter in 1930.

Speaking to the media after the defeat, Allegri said: "I'm angry, we can't concede goals like that. We've never had a first half like today.

"We have to think about working on the field... we need to examine our conscience and start playing with intent again."

It was the latest setback for Juve after being hit with a 15-point deduction in Serie A related to previous transfer dealings, and Allegri was left in no doubt how much work there is to do to rescue their season.

"Reality says that we have 23 points, so we still have to win many more," he said. "This is reality, and if we don't look at it, we'll get hurt. 

"We are all responsible for the performance... In [our last] three games [in the league] we won just one point and conceded 10 goals.

"We facilitated the Monza goals, they came out with disarming ease. You can't allow them to get into the defence like we did. They got through us too easily.

"We didn't have any reactions... The last few performances were not up to par, when you lose you have to lose in another way, [though] there was a different attitude in the second half."

Related items

  • Villarreal 2-2 Atletico Madrid: Late Pascual leveller denies Simeone's 10 men second place Villarreal 2-2 Atletico Madrid: Late Pascual leveller denies Simeone's 10 men second place

    Atletico Madrid missed the chance to leapfrog Real Madrid and finish second in LaLiga on the final day of the season, as Jorge Pascual scored Villarreal's last-gasp equaliser in a 2-2 draw.

    Antoine Griezmann laid on two goals for Angel Correa after Nicolas Jackson put Villarreal ahead early on, but Axel Witsel's red card saw Diego Simeone's side come under mounting pressure, which told when Pascual converted two minutes into stoppage time.

    That meant Atleti finished the season one point adrift of their city rivals in third, despite Los Blancos labouring to a 1-1 draw with Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

    Pablo Barrios' error was punished as Villarreal went ahead after nine minutes, the teenager's miscued header teeing up Jackson for a powerful finish across goal. 

    Atleti levelled when Correa turned Griezmann's clever free-kick home nine minutes later, and the France international teed up Correa again with the latter rounding Filip Jorgensen to put the visitors 2-1 up after the break.

    With Atleti seemingly heading for second place, Witsel was dismissed for fouling Giovani Lo Celso as the last man, and Villarreal made their numerical advantage count in the season's dying moments, Pascual converting a rebound to condemn Simeone's side to third.

  • Napoli 2-0 Sampdoria: Osimhen reaches half-century as Spalletti signs off with victory Napoli 2-0 Sampdoria: Osimhen reaches half-century as Spalletti signs off with victory

    Victor Osimhen reached another milestone as Napoli concluded their Scudetto-winning campaign with a 2-0 victory over Serie A's bottom side Sampdoria.

    Osimhen sealed the Capocannoniere with his second-half penalty taking his tally for the Serie A campaign to 26 goals, while it was also his 50th overall in the competition.

    Substitute Giovanni Simeone's wonderful individual effort secured victory as the Partonopei lifted the Serie A trophy at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, where Luciano Spalletti was overseeing his final match in charge before taking a year-long sabbatical.

    The Partenopei finished their memorable season on 90 points, their second-highest tally in Serie A – having collected one more under Maurizio Sarri five years ago.

    Napoli created the first opportunity inside three minutes when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia fed Piotr Zielinski, who fired over from a tight angle.

    At the other end, two former Partenopei players almost combined to thwart their old club, but Fabio Quagliarella squandered a great opportunity by heading Manolo Gabbiadini's inviting cross wide from inside the six yard box.

    Koray Gunter produced a wonderful last-ditch intervention to deny Eljif Elmas a clear sight on goal after Osimhen had neatly cushioned a lofted ball into his team-mate's path.

    Sampdoria went close after the break when substitute Lorenzo Malagrida shot straight at Alex Meret, but the hosts broke through in the 64th minute.

    After Nicola Murru brought him down in the penalty area, Osimhen picked himself up and confidently swept the spot-kick into the bottom-right corner.

    Martin Turk denied Frank Anguissa and Gianluca Gaetano with smart reflex saves, but was helpless when Simeone arrowed a stunning 25-yard effort into the top corner to seal the points five minutes from time.

  • Real Madrid 1-1 Athletic Bilbao: Benzema gets farewell goal as Blancos cling onto second Real Madrid 1-1 Athletic Bilbao: Benzema gets farewell goal as Blancos cling onto second

    Karim Benzema marked his Real Madrid farewell with a goal in a 1-1 draw with Athletic Bilbao, as Los Blancos clung onto second place on the final day of the LaLiga season.

    The veteran forward – who is expected to head to Saudi Arabia after announcing his departure on Sunday – converted a penalty as Madrid fought back to clinch a point at the Santiago Bernabeu.

    Athletic had been denied an early opener when Thibaut Courtois kept out Mikel Vesga's spot-kick, but Ernesto Valverde's visitors struck first through Oihan Sancet after half-time.

    Benzema's equaliser however cost them a spot in the Europa Conference League, with Carlo Ancelotti's men clinging onto second following Atleti's 2-2 draw with Villarreal elsewhere.

    Athletic had the chance to go ahead from the spot when Toni Kroos handled Inaki Williams' header 10 minutes in, but Courtois sprung to his right to push Vesga's tame kick away.

    Unai Simon subsequently tipped Vinicius Junior's drive wide as Madrid's threat grew, and the Athletic goalkeeper remained alert to prevent Rodrygo from rounding him as an open first half ended goalless.

    Athletic saw another bright start rewarded in the second half though with Ander Herrera dispossessing Dani Ceballos to tee up Sancet, who squeezed his shot beyond Courtois at the second attempt.

    Madrid reaped a penalty of their own however after Yuri Berchiche caught Eder Militao in the face, and Benzema made no mistake from the spot, before he was substituted to a standing ovation.

    Los Blancos were unable to find a winner without their talisman however, with Rodrygo missing a glaring chance, but their point nevertheless preserved second to end the season.

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.