For the first time in two years, Massimiliano Allegri stopped tinkering. Since returning to Juventus in 2021, he had taken charge of 112 games and changed his starting XI in every single one. There was genuine shock in the press box at the Mapei Stadium on Saturday as journalists realised the team to face Sassuolo was the same one that beat Lazio 3-1 a week before.
Allegri has suggested previously that his team selections rely on intuition more than over-analysis, telling La Repubblica: “I can’t stay 24 hours searching for a solution, I have to wait for inspiration to arrive.” It is easy to understand why his gut might have told him to stick, not twist, on this occasion. Juventus were brilliant against Lazio: exerting control even without possession against last season’s runners-up.
