Football
ESPN staff 6y

Gonzalo Higuain left on Juventus bench to 'rediscover' calm - Max Allegri

Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri said he left Gonzalo Higuain on the bench against Torino because the star striker needs to "rediscover" his calm.

Mario Mandzukic was chosen ahead of Higuain for the Derby della Mole, and the move paid off as the hardworking Croatia international played a key role in Juventus' 4-0 win against their crosstown rivals.

Paulo Dybala scored twice, while Miralem Pjanic and Alex Sandro added solo efforts in an easy win due in large part to Torino midfielder Daniele Baselli's sending off in the 24th minute for a second yellow card.

After match, Allegri told Mediaset Premium: "Higuain was on the bench because there are many games and I preferred to give him a rest. He's an important player for us, there are moments when things work better at one time than another.

"There will be times when everyone gets time out, otherwise we won't be able to maintain our consistency.

"Tonight I preferred to leave him out, he has already scored two goals this season and will score many more. He just needs to rediscover -- or perhaps he never lost it -- the calm of not feeling the need to score at all costs.

"I thank Mandzukic for his performance. I'm sure he could happily play in midfield too, he's got physicality and technique, so can do a job anywhere."

Allegri went on to praise his entire team for their effort on the night, in which they maintained their perfect start to the season and kept pace with Serie A leaders Napoli, who lead on goal differential, for first place in the league.

"At last we're starting to run a bit. The lads had a really good game, including the opening 20 minutes, then once Torino went down to 10 men we controlled the match," Allegri said.

"Even then, we allowed a couple of situations that could've been avoided. We slowed the tempo a bit too much after the break, but still created a great deal.

"It wasn't easy, as this Torino side is tough to beat, but it was the best way to prepare for Wednesday's Champions League game."

Dybala's brace takes his season total to nine goals in Italy's top flight, but his manager cautioned that the 23-year-old still has plenty of room for improvement, especially if he wants to stay healthy for a season in which Juve are competing on three fronts.

He said: "When we're in control, we must try to avoid injuries. For example, Paulo Dybala kept the ball for too long in the second half and drew the foul, when he should've passed or shot immediately.

"Dybala is doing very well, but I know there are periods when the others will score goals, so we have to work to improve both as individuals and as a team."

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