Max Allegri praised the likes of Gianluigi Buffon and Dani Alves, but remains "angry" with playmaker Miralem Pjanic after Juventus' 2-0 Champions League semifinal away win at Monaco on Wednesday.
Two goals from Gonzalo Higuain, both set up by Brazilian wing-back Alves, gave Serie A table-toppers Juve the upper hand in the race for a spot in the Champions League final.
The principality club were held to nil at the Stade Louis II for the first time in Europe this season but Allegri knows Leonardo Jardim's men travel well, as evidenced by their recent display in Dortmund.
After praising his Bianconeri players, he urged caution ahead of the return leg in Turin.
"The boys played a great game. They defended very well. It's not easy, because Monaco have a great attack, very fast players going forward," Allegri said after the match.
"We made a few too many mistakes and Buffon made a great save when it was 0-0.
"The quality of the players I have available to me helped me prepare this team. To obtain results, you have to make sacrifices going forward and at the back. They players did that.
"I'm happy with Buffon. Gigi remains the world No 1. He was very solid. He had already done that against Barcelona. Like all great players, he makes the difference in important matches.
"Overall we should be happy. There is still the second leg to be played and that's another serious match."
Both Alves and Pjanic joined Juventus in the summer, and while both have had problems "settling in," to the Bianconeri system, it's the Bosnia and Herzegovina international that Allegri say needs to be more "calm and focused."
"There's no secrets, it was just a matter of settling in," Allegri told Mediaset Premium. "Dani Alves had some injury problems, needed to get to know his teammates, the environment and the tactical systems. His assists today for the two goals were excellent.
"I am very angry with Pjanic, because he can become one of the three best midfielders in the world, but every now and then when he gets a pass wrong, he acts like it's the end of the world.
"He needs to stay calm and relax, because his potential is only partially expressed.
"The lads are having a great season, in order to make it extraordinary we need to be calm and focused." #INSERT type:image caption: Max Allegri says Miralem Pjanic could be one of the best midfielders in the world if he could stay more relaxed. END#
Higuain, who had not scored in his previous seven outings in the knockout rounds of the Champions League, broke the deadlock with a strike into the bottom corner from Alves' clever back-heel.
The former Barcelona player then lofted the ball forward that Higuain stuck away just before the hour mark, thus capping a memorable evening in the principality for the €90 million striker.
"I'm very happy with this game. It's a dream we've been following since August, going to Cardiff, and we're a step away," Higuain said.
"But we haven't won anything yet we have to stay calm. Real, I played there for seven years, but for us to see each other again, they have to still qualify for the final, us too.
"In this team, everyone works, those who come on, those who go off, and we have won again without conceding a goal."
Wednesday's Champions League win means Juventus remain on course for a Treble, with the Scudetto all but secured and a Coppa Italia final showdown with Lazio on the horizon.
Information from PA Sport was used in this report.