Juve, Allegri like Sarri and Pirlo: out with “easy” opponents

That Juve will be in the next Champions League is still to be seen, and to be confirmed in the last nine days of the championship after overtaking Atalanta in fourth place. But the next time she shows up at the Nyon ballot box for the knockout stage draw, woe to rejoice in an affordable pairing: for the past four years, the end of her Champions League has been deadly for the Lady. Three eliminations in a row in the round of 16: Lyon, Porto, Villarreal. But even the year before, Allegri had greeted his last Europe, which is counting his five-year period, with an elimination against De Ligt’s surprising Ajax, who also seemed to be the most gluttonous opponent among the eight remaining that year. Even then 1-1 in the first leg and defeat at the Stadium in the second leg (it was 1-2). This time Max did not even enter the top eight.

Like Lyon and Porto

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Allegri therefore like Maurizio Sarri and Andrea Pirlo: for the first it was the European fiasco with Lyon, the smoking gun to turn the page on the wave of a climate not aligned with his idea of ​​football, for the second the early elimination with Porto made it prohibitive give a completely positive judgment to a season that ended with two trophies, also taking into account the end of the Italian hegemony. In both cases, the overall balance of goals was tied: 1-0 defeat in Lyon and victory in Turin, 2-1 defeat at Porto and 3-2 in extra time in Turin in the return leg. The away goal that is worth double is fatal. A rule that no longer exists and its end has “forced” Juve to play a proactive game like few times in the season, many shots (15 shots, 5 on goal) and zero profit. Until last year, the 0-0 up to the 78th minute would have been defended like a fort, forcing Villarreal to uncover. Change everything. Not the final outcome for Juve.

Three clues

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Allegri in Italy has not lost in 15 games, the last defeat almost four months ago, on November 27 with Atalanta (and even in the Super Cup at the end of the regulation), but he loses and also soundly in the inside-out match that keeps him out of the game. European elite. Three eliminations in the round of 16 in the last three seasons, as many as in the previous ten Championships, notes Opta. Three clues make an unassailable proof: the European mentality must be rebuilt without shortcuts at the Allianz Stadium. At one time the proof of this had to be in the teasing opponents the curse of the finals: Juve got there, the last two times under the guidance of Allegri, and did not win them. Now it would be dripping fat, the curse is in the eighths. The curse is in the urn. The curse is in the inability to follow up on the field to predictions based on real values, then lost in the game.