Juventus Boss Max Allegri Says His Players Are in Need of Rest Following Saturday Stalemate

Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri has admitted that his players are tired and in need of rest after their 0-0 draw away to SPAL on Saturday night.

The Serie A leaders failed to extend their lead atop the table to seven points, leaving Napoli with an opportunity to cut it to two when they face Genoa on Sunday. 

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Allegri, though, didn't seem too worried after the draw, citing fatigue as the reason for the lackluster performance, with his side having played their fourth match in the space of just 11 days.

"People expected us to drop points a couple of weeks ago against Lazio. We dropped them tonight. These things happen," he said to Mediaset Premium (H/T FourFourTwo).

"Now we need some rest, because we are playing on three fronts and we need everyone.

"It's only human that when you are top of the Serie A table, in the Champions League quarter-finals and the Coppa Italia final, you can miss a beat and lack energy once in a while."

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SPAL boss Leonardo Semplici was more upbeat after what could be considered a momentous draw. The hosts haven't beaten Juve since 1957, but given the magnitude, the draw must have felt like a victory.

"There's a long way to go, but SPAL showed that not only do we belong in Serie A, but we have what it takes to achieve our objective," he declared.

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Juve, meanwhile, could be without Giorgio Chiellini for a bit after the veteran was taken off late in the second half when he indicated that he was having trouble with his hamstring. Allegri has since revealed that the complaints came about as a result of muscular fatigue, but he is awaiting further testing.

"Chiellini has muscular fatigue," he explained. "But at the moment we don't have any more on that."