Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri praised Inter and admitted that his side were fortunate to secure a 2-0 win in the Derby d’Italia in Serie A yesterday.

The Bianconeri were victorious at the Allianz Stadium courtesy of second half goals from midfield duo Adrien Rabiot and Nicolo Fagioli, although Inter had chances of their own in a close encounter.

In an interview with Italian television broadcaster Sky Sport Italia after the final whistle, and as reported by FCInterNews.it, former AC Milan coach Allegri admitted that his team had some luck on their side and had to overcome a strong Inter performance in the first half.

“Inter are a very strong team, in the first half we were unable to play and we were a bit lucky,” Allegri confessed.

However, the 55-year-old revealed that Juventus had sought to calm the match down and reduce the atmosphere, which worked in their favour.

“Then we unlocked the game by taking the tension out of it because it was not easy. We beat a really strong opponent.

“Right now we have two important matches, against Verona and Lazio, we have to look for the boost from tonight’s victory. From tomorrow we will think about Thursday’s match,” he added.

The defeat sees Inter fall behind Juventus in the Serie A table by a point, as they languish in seventh place after 13 games.

Simone Inzaghi’s side look to get back on track when they face Bologna at the Stadio San Siro on Wednesday evening.