Luciano Spalletti spoke to DAZN (as quoted by ilbianconero) after his first Turin derby as Juventus manager, analysing the 1–1 draw against Torino. Following their win over Cremonese, the Bianconeri have now recorded two consecutive draws between Serie A and the Champions League, both at the Allianz Stadium.
Reflecting on the match, Spalletti highlighted areas for improvement while expressing satisfaction with his team’s effort.
“When there’s that much density in the other half, we need to raise the quality,” he said. “The speed of the ball in passing can make the difference — a ball played two metres forward rather than backward gives you the chance to unpick the opponent. That’s something we must improve. We didn’t manage to produce the kind of quality plays we are capable of, and that’s where we have to work.”
The Juventus coach also admitted fatigue played a part but praised his players’ commitment.
“You could see some tiredness in certain players, but I’m very happy with the team because they kept trying throughout the match,” Spalletti noted. “Even if we conceded two or three dangerous counter-attacks, Di Gregorio’s big save came from a double rebound — a purely accidental situation. Afterwards, we kept Torino pinned back. It was a tough game for them too, and we did what we had to do.”
Speaking about his forwards, Spalletti underlined the qualities of his attacking duo, David and Vlahović.
“Inside the area, David is very good — he works on timing rather than physical strength,” he explained. “Vlahović had a small back issue. He gave me total availability and sacrificed himself, but he was starting to feel exhausted, so I decided to take him off. His physical presence could have caused them problems, especially with Zhegrova’s crosses, but David also has those qualities. When we kept them boxed in, we just missed that final spark.”
Finally, Spalletti addressed the tense moments at the end of the match and an exchange with Torino’s staff.
“I’ve known Colucci and Baroni for a long time,” he said. “At the end, I just told him that one of their bench players, on a throw-in, pretended to give us the ball and then didn’t. I told him these things can be avoided — otherwise it gets ugly.”
