It really is something to get this team motivated week on week. Players get grumpy and leave from time to time for different reasons but holding a core together is important, the club finds ways to increase morale, what Allegri does every season is difficult in the modern game with these pampered modern players earning fortunes.
People look at clubs like Liverpool and wank over the style of football and aggressiveness but you have to remember that Liverpool have not won a league title for 26 years and in the last 10 years have won one League Cup. They are desperate for success, the pedal is pressed all the way down and they are riding on a wave of enthusiasm and optimism. Juve have sacks full of trophies and are trying to juggle domestic dominance with a shot at an unpredictable KO tournament, our obsession, despite the denials.
So yes, when you've won 85% or whatever it is of the domestic trophies in the last 7 years then you cannot expect this team to come out and do more than they need to against the bread and butter of the league. With a big lead on 2nd and ludicrous lead on 3rd it's very easy for this team to really become stale and take their eyes off the bigger picture, and at times we do look stale and average, but we've been doing this for a long time now. What Allegri does well is plan across segments of the season, so hopefully with players coming back we can approach the CL games with a freshness and attitude we aren't always going to see in Serie A.
Let's be real though, we're facing Atlético, it's going to be a battle and nothing like what we normally face in Serie A. Comparing this game to those might as well be talking about tennis compared to basketball.