Massimiliano Allegri has insisted that Juventus's 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie is far from disastrous.
The Italian giants, beaten finalists in two of the last three seasons, let slip a two-goal lead at the Allianz Stadium on Tuesday evening.
Juve missed a penalty at 2-1 and also saw Gonzalo Higuain squander a glorious chance prior to that, allowing Spurs to hit back and swing momentum in their favour ahead of next month's return fixture at Wembley Stadium.
Allegri is unhappy with the criticism aimed towards his players on the back of the four-goal draw, claiming that it is "crazy" to underestimate the quality of opponents Tottenham.
"Juventus play to win the Champions League but we are not the favourites to win it. And it's impossible to reach the final every year," he told reporters after the match.
"We are doing our best and my players should be happy because they are having an amazing season. And I'm also happy for what they are doing. We know that we need to improve.
"We still have a good chance to qualify in London, but it's totally crazy to think that Juventus has to win 3-0 in the round of 16 in the Champions League.
"It's something that makes me crazy because you aren't able to analyse how good teams are in the Champions League. I cannot accept that people think this 2-2 result against Tottenham can make us depressed."
Allegri also revealed that he expects to have Paulo Dybala and Blaise Matuidi available for selection in time for the second leg on March 7.
Daniel Lewis
