Luciano Spalletti analysed Juventus’ 1–1 draw with Sporting in his first Champions League match in charge of the Bianconeri. The result once again delayed Juve’s first victory in this year’s competition, leaving them with three points from four games. With four fixtures remaining, the need for wins has become crucial to maintain hopes of progressing in Europe.
Speaking to Sky (as quoted by ilbianconero) after the match, Spalletti offered an honest assessment of his team’s performance and outlined the key areas for improvement.
The Match
“They are a very good team because they play important, attacking football when in possession. They press aggressively. For us it was a difficult start, but then came a great reaction — we had the game in our hands and perhaps even deserved to take the lead,” Spalletti said.
“We lost too many balls after winning possession, and some of our play lacked quality. When they pressed us, we didn’t restart our actions cleanly. But overall, it was a great performance. What gives me confidence is that we have strong players who showed their quality — in one-on-one situations, in beating their man, and in Dusan’s strength. We need to improve our build-up play and the circulation of the ball. But we have options.”
The Attitude
“There is always the risk of being too attacking, because they are excellent in tight spaces — that’s the Portuguese school of football, they have that quality in small areas,” Spalletti explained.
“We did well to take away their rhythm and build-ups. We countered effectively, though at times we were a bit frantic and gave away some of the balls we had won. These aspects must improve. We had many shots on goal, but too often the final pass was wrong. We are a strong team — if we continue with this spirit, the wins will come.”
The Rhythm
“The sound of the ball moving quickly makes the difference, but there are many phases to a game,” he reflected.
“There’s a phase where you need to circulate the ball and wait for the right pass, a moment when you recover possession in their half and must finish immediately, and when you recover in your own half, you must first consolidate before deciding what to do next. Every team knows these dynamics — they either press you or defend with ten men. You have to read the moments of the match and act faster, because to get the best, you must play faster.”
The Stadium
“A beautiful setting, a full stadium, the crowd right behind us. A wonderful atmosphere that the players also felt,” Spalletti concluded.
“We did good things, played at high speed, and there is always room for improvement. I’m convinced we’ll manage to achieve a lot of satisfaction if we keep this up.”
