Allegri says wounded Juventus will be dangerous for Napoli
Massimiliano Allegri has told Napoli to expect a backlash from a Juventus side he insists are far from finished, while confirming Stanislav Lobotka faces roughly six weeks out.
Massimiliano Allegri has pushed back against the idea that Juventus are there for the taking, telling reporters his former club are "wounded, not dead" before Sunday's trip to the Allianz Stadium, Football Italia reports.
The two sides meet level on 14 points, both searching for consistency rather than silverware talk. Napoli arrive on the back of a 4-1 win at Monza, while Juventus were beaten 2-0 at Genoa and have since gone into a short retreat at the J Hotel.
Allegri himself will not be present. He is serving the second match of a two-game touchline ban, leaving assistant Marco Landucci to take charge for the visit.
Speaking at Castel Volturno, Allegri said he had noticed the narrative building around Juventus's recent form but rejected it outright. "I've heard that in the media they're giving Juve up for dead, but Juventus rarely die," he said, adding that the hosts remain "a strong team with a good coach" who tend to pull together in difficult moments.
Why Allegri is bracing for a reaction, not a collapse
The caution is tactical as much as psychological. A team under pressure after back-to-back poor results, as Allegri frames Juventus, often raises its intensity rather than wilting, particularly at home in a fixture billed as a direct rival clash for the top four.
Allegri described Sunday's game as a head-to-head between two sides "behind in the table" rather than a contest between a crisis club and a thriving one. That framing matters: it positions Napoli not as favourites exploiting a weakened opponent, but as equals facing a side he expects to raise its level out of necessity.
He was explicit about the challenge this creates. "It won't be easy, because tomorrow is a head-to-head against a team built to fight for the top four," he said, warning that "We'll need fighting spirit and technique. We won't find the team that's being described."
Allegri's own history at Juventus, where he won five Scudetti across two spells, gives the remarks added context, though he downplayed its relevance to Sunday. "There's no point always bringing it up," he said, noting he spent ten years at the club, roughly half his coaching career, and that his son still lives in Turin.
Lobotka injury forces a midfield rethink
The team news from Napoli's side centres on Stanislav Lobotka, who was taken off on a stretcher during Wednesday's win at Monza. Allegri confirmed the midfielder faces around six weeks on the sidelines, a blow he described as softened only by the fact his foot was not planted awkwardly in the challenge.
"We've lost Lobotka, who's an important player. In our misfortune we were lucky, because he should be back in six weeks," Allegri said, adding that a planted foot would have made it "a disaster."
With Lobotka out, Allegri pointed to Kevin De Bruyne as a possible option in the deeper midfield role, alongside Billy Gilmour as the more orthodox replacement. He also flagged a shift in structure, suggesting Napoli will at times field two holding midfielders and adjust personnel in the centre of the pitch accordingly. Spinazzola, Neres and Favasuli are expected back after the upcoming break, though Alisson may take longer to return.
Illness has added further uncertainty. Amir Rrahmani has been struggling with flu and trained the day before the squad assessment, with Marianucci or Beukema ready to deputise if he is not fit. André-Frank Zambo Anguissa has also been affected, Allegri said, attributing it to a virus circulating through the group.
Allegri resists the idea that one win settles anything
Asked about Rasmus Højlund, who scored at Monza after a run of near-misses, Allegri was complimentary but measured, noting the forward had "always played well" even before converting his chances. He dismissed any talk of a tactical overhaul prompted by the recent scoring run, pointing instead to defensive lapses that have accompanied the goals and stressing the need for better game management, with and without the ball.
On Napoli's recent pattern of conceding in matches they looked to have under control, including a collapse from 3-2 up against Roma, Allegri called it an issue of managing the ball once ahead rather than a single tactical flaw.
He was equally firm in resisting the suggestion that beating Juventus would define Napoli's campaign. Pointing to the club's run in the top four for 15 years, he said reducing the season to one fixture would be "very reductive," with the real aims being Champions League progression, a strong Coppa Italia run and another top-four finish.
Kick-off at the Allianz Stadium is set for 20:45 CET on Sunday, with both sides looking to arrest their recent dips in form rather than make any grander statement.