Massimiliano Allegri: Juventus earned respect of Europe with Barcelona win
Wednesday 12 April 2017 08:19, UK
Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri believes his side have earned the respect of Europe after beating Barcelona 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday.
Paulo Dybala's double and Giorgio Chiellini's header put Juve in control of the tie, but Allegri also insisted that the job was not done yet as they prepare to head to the Nou Camp next week.
"We must be aware that it was a great performance, we played well technically both in attack and defence. It is the first step towards the semi-final, the second leg will be a different matter," Allegri told Italian outlet Mediaset Premium. "I am not capable of saying what our percentages are. In Barcelona we are going to have to play aiming to score goals.
"I am a dreamer, but also pragmatic and a realist. We're on a growth process, I am happy with what the lads are doing and we've made important steps forward over the last few years.
"Juventus have respect for Europe and above all are respected in Europe. That is the greatest result of my three years here."
Allegri also reserved praise for Juve's hero Dybala, who scored an impressive first-half brace to send the Italian giants on their way to victory.
"Dybala showed his quality with an extraordinary performance," said Allegri. "Though everyone was excellent tonight. His finishing was great, but I am happy for him as I am for all the players.
"There were a lot of expectations around this side to see if they were up to a quarter-final. It was a psychological test and we need to improve how we perform with this system."
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