MASSIMILIANO Allegri says attempting to man-mark Lionel Messi is “impossible” as his side prepare for the Champions League final against Barcelona.
Juve are one match away from completing a famous treble having already secured the Serie A and Coppa Italia titles this term.
Barca are also on the cusp of their first treble since 2009 after a 3-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao at the weekend saw them add Copa del Rey success to their Liga triumph.
Superstar Messi once more grabbed the headlines with a double at Camp Nou, including a sublime first goal in the 57th minute.
Yet Allegri believes it would be a huge mistake for Juve to focus all their attention on Messi, considering the wealth of talent at Barca’s disposal.
The Juve coach told reporters: “We have to be ready, we have to be good. We know Messi’s skills, but we can’t forget the likes of Neymar, Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta also.
“Man-marking Messi is almost impossible. We have to be good at working well around him. I think beyond stopping Messi they have Neymar and Suarez – players with technical skills so we have to be brave.”
After struggling in Europe in recent seasons, Juve have defied their critics and reached Saturday’s showpiece in Berlin courtesy of an impressive semi-final victory over last season’s champions Real Madrid.
On Monday, Allegri was asked if comparisons can be made with Inter’s treble-winning team under Jose Mourinho in 2010, but the Italian was more focused on Juve’s accomplishments.
“We will see afterwards [if comparisons can be made to Inter], if we manage to win the cup. If not it will be different,” he said.
“Regardless of anything a final must be played and I think it will be a more than extraordinary result winning this cup. The squad have had a great season – winning the Champions League would be something uncommon having won Serie A and the Coppa Italia.
“It’s a Champions League final – it’s normal to face the best players in the world, but we’re not afraid of facing Barcelona.
“Preparing for a game like this is enjoyable. Everyone dreams of doing so and I consider myself very fortunate to coach players who have brought great joy over these past four years. It’s been an extraordinary season that will go down in history, and winning the Champions League would make it even better.
“The meeting with Real was a useful test for us, enabling us to pit our wits against top quality players, as we will be doing when we face Barcelona. It will be even tougher in Berlin, but it’s a one-off game and that perhaps represents a slight advantage for us.
“We need to appreciate that we’ll be in for some difficult spells but also moments that will go in our favour. We’re not travelling to Berlin to make up the numbers. It’s the final and taking on the world’s best players is something that’s perfectly normal, but this shouldn’t make us anxious as we have great character.
“We need to stay compact and keep it tight. They possess great quality, but so do we. We will prepare for every eventuality, including penalties, but I don’t think it will go to spot-kicks.”