The Old Lady have suffered in Serie A this season, failing to win any of their opening games, and fell behind to Giorgio Chiellini's own goal in their Group D clash.
But Juventus duly responded via Mario Mandzukic and Alvaro Morata to win the tie at the Etihad, and Allegri believes the result could spark a turnaround for their season.
"We did believe even after our Serie A start but it takes patience," the coach told reporters after the match. "The lads put in a great performance and it wasn’t easy.
"The Champions League motivates everyone. A victory represents a huge boost of confidence and helps you work better.
"A defeat would’ve been seen badly, but we wanted to put in a good performance and turn the tide. It’s a psychological issue and these lads showed they were up to the task.”
The Bianconeri regularly turned to captain Gianluigi Buffon between the posts to shut their hosts out, and Allegri lauded the shot-stopper while praising his side's work ethic.
"Today when 1-0 down, we risked conceding a second, and Buffon was extraordinary," he continued.
"I had decided on [Juan] Cuadrado yesterday, as he could cause problems for City between the lines. [Alvaro] Morata and Cuadrado worked hard and sacrificed themselves for the team."
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