Allegri: ‘Barcelona are UCL favorites’

Juventus Coach Massimiliano Allegri dismisses talk of being Champions League favourites – “this year the prime candidate is Barcelona”.

The Bianconeri have won all three of their European matches so far, and have been touted by many as potential winners.

“We’re working this year, as in recent years, to achieve the objective we haven’t been able to achieve in recent years,” Allegri acknowledged in his pre-Cagliari Press conference.

“It also takes a bit of luck. Juventus have played two finals in the last four years, and it’s not nothing that in the other two we were eliminated after a great match in Madrid and after overturning the first leg in Munich.

“I don’t feel privileged, I feel like a Coach who is fortunate enough to be at Juventus, one of the biggest clubs in Europe, and with a squad that can aspire to win the Champions League. But it’s not certain, just as the league isn’t.

“Last year when Real Madrid were 20 points behind Barcelona I said they were favourites for the Champions League. They had some good luck, we had some bad luck and they won.

“This year the prime candidate to win the Champions League is Barcelona.

“You just have to watch their games, not simply look at them. It’s simple. They’re the number one candidate, we’re among the top four favourites. But we need to be calm.

“We’ll get through the group stage, but I’ll talk to you about the Champions League but now we’ll think about Cagliari.

“I’m not superstitious, I’m realistic and objective. And in my opinion Barcelona are number one favourites.”

Paul Pogba will return to Turin with Manchester United on Wednesday, and Allegri was asked if he’d be useful for the current Juventus side.

“Talking about him and anyone who plays for another team is pointless. What do you want me to say?

“He’s a great player who still has room for improvement, he has a career ahead of him and he needs to reach full maturity.

“He’s a Manchester United player now and unfortunately we have to face him on Tuesday. It would be better if he didn’t come, but we have to face him as we did over there.

“Will he get a standing ovation? The fans should give standing ovations to our players, not others.”

Cristiano Ronaldo has taken almost all of the free-kicks this season, and not very well, does the Coach feel able to tell him to step aside?

“From a distance it’s easier for Ronaldo to shoot, from close range [Paulo] Dybala and [Miralem] Pjanic are more dangerous.

“When we’re shooting from the left, Ronaldo has a more dangerous strike than the other two.

“He wants to take them all, but he’s a smart lad and he knows Dybala and Pjanic hit them well, so we’ve divided them this way.”