In their last home fixture of the campaign, Juventus will host Milan at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday night.

Although the Bianconeri’s chances of reaching the Champions League have all but faded, Max Allegri still expects a strong showing from his men against their old rivals.

The 55-year-old held his customary pre-match press conference on Saturday, reminding everyone that his team should have been second in the Serie A table.

“I asked the boys for one final effort to finish this season on a high note,” said the Juventus manager as reported by the club’s official website.

“We missed a great opportunity against Empoli to stay in the race for Champions League qualification, and now the door is very narrow.

“It’s a shame, despite many mitigating factors, that one was a game we should have won. Now we have to focus only on the present, which is tomorrow, and then there’ll be the final game in Udine.

“After that, we will evaluate this season, which has undoubtedly been a difficult one, and start planning for the next one.

“We must not forget that we are currently in second place “on the field”, and maintaining that should be our focus for these last two matches. Furthermore, securing a place in Europe, despite the penalties, would be a good result.”

On another note, Allegri insisted that he’s a true company man who stayed away from controversy and never posed a “veto” on any club official or candidate, perhaps in a reference to Cristiano Giuntoli’s potential appointment as sporting director.

“It has been a complicated season, for many months, especially off the field, and it hasn’t been easy to maintain focus. We could have done better, especially in the Champions League, but we almost reached two finals and have a second-place position to hold on to.

“I am a “company man”, and I want to emphasize that I have never imposed any vetoes of any kind. I recently spoke with the ownership, and nothing has changed from the past.

“I have two more years on my contract, and during that time, our objective will be to bring Juventus back to the top in Italy and in the League.”

Regarding Sunday’s clash, the manager suggested Federico Chiesa as a possible starter against Milan, while casting doubts over the availability of Dusan Vlahovic and Alex Sandro.

“Chiesa might start from the first minute. He had a transitional season, which is normal after his recovery; the next one should be the season of his consecration.

“Doubts for tomorrow? Vlahovic and Alex Sandro.”