Football
PA Sport 9y

Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri 'not concerned' about Roma loss

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri is refusing to press the panic button despite the club's worst ever start to a Serie A campaign.

The Italian champions followed their 1-0 defeat at home to Udinese in last week's league opener with a 2-1 loss at Roma on Sunday.

"I am not concerned," Allegri said after the match. "Unfortunately these things happen in football.

"We must above all change something in terms of mentality.

"Finally tomorrow the transfer deadline comes and we can focus on working together as a group.

"I don't like people who feel sorry for themselves, so we have to work hard and emerge from this moment."

Juve, who won the Scudetto and the Coppa Italia last season and also made it to the Champions League final, had Patrice Evra sent off in the 78th minute for a second yellow card and seconds later conceded their second goal of the evening to Edin Dzeko, with Miralem Pjanic having scored the first.

"There's no fitness issue, as we actually improved towards the end when down to 10 men," Allegri said. "After two defeats you have to reflect, but I must also take into consideration the strength of our opponents.

"It's going to be a long campaign, we have to chase now."

Juve only began to threaten Roma in the latter stages of the game and after Paulo Dybala pulled one back in the 87th minute, they still had a chance to equalise but Leonardo Bonucci saw his last-minute effort saved by Wojciech Szczesny.

"We reacted well, but our attitude was too submissive from the start," Allegri said. "We faced an excellent Roma side and were under too much pressure in the first half, unable to get out of our own half and attack them."

Roma coach Rudi Garcia applauded his players as they clinched their first win of the season following a 1-1 draw at Bologna in the first week.

"This is the Roma that I wanted," Garcia said. "It's the Roma that produced great football the first 18 months that I joined the club.

"The key was the collective desire of the whole group.

"I always think about the collective and I am above all happy for my players.

"We could have done a lot better when we were 2-0 up against 10 men. Until then the pressing had been perfect.

"But this is just the start of the season.

"This performance indicates the path that we must follow."

Roma, who had finished a distant second to Juventus in Serie A last season, play at promoted Frosinone once Serie A resumes after the international break.

Juve will be looking to kick-start their season when they host Chievo on September 13.

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