Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri will equal Marcello Lippi’s mark of 405 games in charge of the club in Monday’s home game against Udinese.
Allegri will draw level with former great Lippi in Juve’s all-time list and behind only Giovanni Trapattoni, who was head coach for 454 matches between 1976 and 1986.
Juve will cut the gap on Serie A leaders Inter Milan to four points with victory and Allegri acknowledged it will be a special occasion for him.
The 56-year-old told a press conference: “I’m very proud to hit 405 games in charge of Juventus, especially because it puts me level with a coach like Lippi, someone who wrote history and someone whom I have a lot of affection for.”
Allegri has guided Juve to five Serie A titles and two Champions League finals – they lost both – during his two spells as head coach.
Lippi also won five domestic titles in two separate stints in charge and was a Champions League winner with the club in 1996. He also led them to three other Champions League finals.
Allegri is hoping his current side can consolidate their place in the top four by returning to winning ways against Udinese after last week’s 1-0 defeat at Inter, who extended their lead at the top by winning 4-2 at Roma on Saturday.
“We didn’t learn (on Saturday) night that Inter are the favourites and that they’re doing great things,” Allegri said.
“We’ve got 53 points and it’s important to get back to winning ways. We need to pull further clear of fifth place and go within four points of first.
“We have no shortage of motivation. We want to get back into the Champions League and on Monday, even if it’s not decisive, it is a very important game. Mentally we’re in good shape.”
Udinese have taken just two points from their last five league games and sit above the relegation zone only on goal difference.
Their solitary win on the road this season was against AC Milan in November.
Allegri said: “Udinese don’t deserve to be where they are in the table. They’ve dropped a lot of points late on in matches, but they have excellent players. They’re physical and they deserve respect.”
Juve’s new signing Carlos Alcaraz made his debut as a late substitute at Inter last week and is hoping to feature again following his loan move from Southampton earlier this month.
Allegri added: “Alcaraz has a lot of quality and the potential to improve. He’s put himself at our disposal, but he’s not ready to start.”
Real Madrid hit Twente for seven, five-star Wolfsburg also win big
Real Madrid had six different goalscorers as they trounced Twente 7-0 in the Women's Champions League on Wednesday, while Wolfsburg beat Galatasaray 5-0.
Signe Bruun opened the scoring three minutes into the Group B encounter at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano, then Maria Mendez's header gave Madrid a 2-0 half-time lead.
Madrid, who had won one and lost one of their opening two games in the tournament, got a third through Naomie Feller five minutes into the second half, then Caroline Weir made it 4-0 with a brilliant free-kick.
Mendez headed home her second of the encounter shortly after the hour mark, while Oihane Hernandez and Carla Camacho got on the scoresheet late on to complete the rout.
The victory took Madrid second in the Group B standings ahead of Chelsea's trip to Celtic.
Wolfsburg were also convincing victors in Group A, getting off the mark for this season's competition as Rebecka Blomqvist scored a hat-trick in their 5-0 thrashing of Galatasaray.
The Bundesliga side – who failed to pick up a point or score a goal in their opening two matches – had a narrow 1-0 lead at half-time through Joelle Wedemeyer, before Blomqvist took centre-stage in the second period.
She tapped home after Janina Minge struck the crossbar, then added her second goal in the 77th minute and her third six minutes into stoppage time.
Vivien Endemann powered home a fifth for Wolfsburg one minute later, as they provisionally moved within three points of Lyon and Roma ahead of their meeting.
Taylor pleased with City's physical test during Hammarby win
Manchester City head coach Gareth Taylor was pleased with how his team stood up to the physical challenge of Hammarby in their 2-0 Champions League victory on Tuesday.
City's win extended their unbeaten start to the season, having won every game in all competitions following a 2-2 draw against Arsenal on opening day.
“Difficult game for us, physical challenge, a physical team in Hammarby. I think they outnumber us a little bit in terms of size, considering when you look at our midfield. But I thought the girls handled it really well," Taylor said after the game
“I thought we dominated the game. In the early parts we were just a little bit off in our final action. We just needed to speed up a little bit in terms of being on the end of it, and we spoke about that at half-time, and we score with Laura getting into that type of position we’d been talking about.
“[The physicality was something] we were prepared for, but dealing with it is a different thing. Having Bunny [Khadija Shaw] and Alanna [Kennedy] on the pitch, two of our more physical players, is really important, particularly for set-plays.
“At 1-0 we were defending a couple of scenarios like that, Yama [Ayaka Yamashita] making a really good save at one point. Then Aoba [Fujino] got the goal that maybe allowed us to change things up a little bit more, get some people off that we’d like to manage.
“I think the girls have dealt with it really well tonight. We expected it, we thought it would be difficult, and they rose to the challenge.”
The victory leaves City top of their Champions League group with a 100% record after three matches, three points above second-placed Barcelona.
Taylor had made changes to City's starting XI, with Lauren Hemp among the trio to drop out from the weekend and she did not feature in the squad. Ahead of their weekend game against Chelsea, who are second in the WSL, Taylor explained the reasoning behind Hemp's absence.
“We’ve just got an issue with Lauren that we just need to analyse a little bit further, that’s all," he said.
“It’s something that potentially happened in the Palace game [on 3 November]. She was able to play in the Tottenham game [last Friday] but wasn’t able to tonight, so we’ll just take a little bit longer to assess and find out more.
“Hopefully [she can play against Chelsea]. There’s an opportunity there, we’ll just have to take a moment tomorrow, have a good conversation and find out where we’re at with the medical staff.”
Mead: Slegers 'a breath of fresh air' at Arsenal
Beth Mead said that Renee Slegers has been a "breath of fresh air" ahead of Arsenal's Women's Champions League tie against Juventus on Tuesday.
Slegers has been in interim charge of the Gunners since Jonas Eidevall's resignation last month, and has impressed during her temporary tenure.
She has won three of her four games at the helm, the latest of which came in a 5-0 victory against Brighton, moving Arsenal up to fourth in the Women's Super League table.
And Mead, who joined Slegers on pre-match press duties on Monday, believes Arsenal are heading in the right direction under her guidance.
“It’s a breath of fresh air with Renee and we’re enjoying it so far," Mead said. "We’re in a good place at the moment.
"We have the environment to build again, it’s a release of new energy right now and when you get the results and the performances, then it makes you a happier footballer.
When asked if she would like Slegers to stay at Arsenal, Mead added: “In some capacity. We love having Renee here and will be happy with whatever she chooses to do.”
However, Slegers revealed she was unsure about what the future may hold, placing full focus on their upcoming Champions League clash.
"I think I get this question every time, and my answer will be the same," Slegers began.
"I'm very much in the moment, I know that this will be the situation for this block, and we as the coaching staff are trying to do everything to help the girls forward.
"I think everyone is putting that little extra in from both the staff and the player's perspective. So I’m just trying to get the best out of Arsenal, because I care a lot.
"I really enjoyed the role I had before. Now I have to play this role for the team, so I’ll play this role for the team. About the future? I don't know."
Arsenal will be looking to improve their recent away from in Europe on Tuesday at the Stadio Comunale Vittorio Pozzo Lamarmora.
They are winless across their last three Champions League away matches (D1 L2), only enduring a longer run in the competition once before (D1 L3 between 2003 and 2005).
The Gunners sit second in Group C on three points, level with Tuesday's opponents, but Slegers is confident of sealing a big result in Italy.
"We are going there to play our best football, and we have a big belief in what we can do tomorrow," Slegers said.
"Looking at what we've been performing lately, and obviously scouting Juventus, we have a big belief in ourselves.
"And then we'll see how the game progresses, what decisions we have to make, but we go there to win."
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