GOAL

Massimiliano Allegri has stressed that Juventus must improve if they are to win a fourth consecutive Serie A title this term as they prepare to take on Sassuolo on Monday.

The 47-year-old has urged his men to step up their game versus Sassuolo and feels they did not put in a bad performance in their loss to Fiorentina

The reigning Italian champions currently hold an eight-point lead over second-placed Roma having played a game less.

However, Allegri is adamant that they can still develop even further as a team as they look to go 11 points clear with a win.

"We must improve, stop conceding and work on our focus, because we’re at the final straight of the season," Allegri said at a press conference.

"We’re in good physical shape though, and we’ll need to put in a great performance on Monday night. Sassuolo are never an easy team to face and dangerous in open space, with three front men whose talents few teams can boast.

"This team has won three consecutive league titles and it seems as if people think it’s just naturally going to happen again this season. I think a bit of enthusiasm has been lost, winning four league titles isn’t straightforward and few teams throughout history have managed to do so. 

"Everyone should be proud of what these lads are doing. The league still isn’t over and calm is required. We must keep working, take the positive aspects on board and limit the negative ones."

Allegri then went on to discuss his side's 2-1 Coppa Italia defeat at the hands of Fiorentina in midweek and feels the Turin side were not as bad as some made it out to be.

"We’ve calmly sat down and analysed the Fiorentina match, because it seemed as if the game was a disaster. Instead, if you take away the seven minutes of madness at the start of the second half, when we afforded them two shots and then conceded from our own mistake, we had four or five important opportunities of our own and Fiorentina barely got out of their half. 

"We must avoid the situations in which we allowed them to counter, but I wouldn’t change any of the decisions I made. Fiorentina will be favourites for the return leg, but we’re capable of overturning the scoreline."