Allegri: ‘First place not crucial’

By Football Italia staff

Juventus Coach Max Allegri confirms “Claudio Marchisio will play” against Sevilla, and says first place isn’t crucial.

The Bianconeri will put themselves in pole position to top their Champions League group with a win tomorrow, but the Liga side are yet to concede a goal in the competition.

“If you finish first and the draw throws up a more beatable second-placed team then you did well to finish first," Allegri pointed out in his pre-match Press conference.

“If you get an easier first place team then it was lucky that you finished second. We need to play for top spot, because that’s the main objective, especially to secure qualification without going to the last day.

“It’s normal though that after that the pot will tell us what is best. When we got to the final [in 2015] we finished second and we got to the final all the same.

“Looking at the groups, they’re divided about 50-50 at the moment, so right now finishing first or second counts for absolutely nothing.

“The objective is the next round, that’s what we know for sure. That’s the first objective of the season from now until December 23.

“We have an important objective tomorrow, to win away, to score against Sevilla and play a great game, then of course Sevilla are doing great things in La Liga.

“It will be a difficult and complicated game, like all Champions League games. We still have to win, because a win tomorrow then a win in the last game would guarantee first place.

“It’s a game for qualification to be won, then the second is to finish first or second.”

Miralem Pjanic missed the Pescara game, while Marchisio is coming back from a knee injury, but both will play in Seville tomorrow.

“[Medhi] Benatia has a knee problem, he’s working and we hope to have him available for Sunday. We’ll evaluate him to see if he improves or not.

“Pjanic is fine, I rested him on Saturday because he’s played a lot of games and he had a bit of a knock to his foot.

“Every now and then it’s good for players to rest, because everyone needs to catch their breath since they play so much. Pjanic has played a lot of games between the start of the season and now.

“Who will be the creator? Marchisio will play. So there are two, Marchisio and Pjanic.”

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