Luciano Spalletti praised the unity of his Juventus squad after their convincing 3–0 victory away to Sassuolo, highlighting the team’s collective spirit and the support shown to striker Jonathan David following a difficult period.
The Bianconeri dominated in Reggio Emilia, taking the lead through an early own goal from Muharemovic before goals from Fabio Miretti and David sealed a comfortable second-half performance.
Speaking to DAZN after the match, Spalletti began by focusing on the emotional embrace that followed David’s goal.
“There was a statement of intent from everyone,” the Juventus manager said. “When you’re on the inside, it’s very different from watching things unfold from the outside. When you receive all those insults and harsh comments, I’d have been surprised if the squad hadn’t formed a shield around him. Jonathan understood that over the past few days, and tonight he produced a great performance. It was right that he felt the friendship he has in the dressing room.”
Controlling the Game
Spalletti was equally pleased with his side’s tactical discipline and defensive strength, particularly in nullifying Sassuolo’s attempts to create attacking overloads.
“The team worked well when Sassuolo tried to build from the back — we stopped them from gaining any numerical advantage,” he explained. “We have very strong defenders who can take risks, and commanding possession made the difference. We prevented Sassuolo from hurting us and made them lose composure.
“At times we played without an out-and-out striker because David dropped deeper, acting almost as an attacking midfielder, which allowed Miretti to make runs into space. He was excellent.”
Still More to Learn
Despite back-to-back impressive wins, Spalletti insisted Juventus still have areas to improve as they continue to internalise his ideas.
“These are two big performances, but we still need to catch up in certain areas and build more understanding,” he said. “At times our attitude isn’t better than a pass mark. When you wear this shirt, you have to go beyond — in some moments we’re not strong enough in duels and second balls.
“We had four corners without even reaching the penalty area. Away from home, you only get one or two chances like that — you must make the most of them because we’re a very strong team in the air. There are details we need to make our own quickly, and then we can add even more on top of that.”
A Touch of Humour
Spalletti ended his interview with a smile when asked about celebrating the win.
“Are we celebrating tonight with cheese on the clams? We liked that idea — it’s how new dishes are created!”
