Luciano Spalletti spoke to Sky after Juventus’ commanding 3–0 victory against Napoli in Turin, the headline clash of Serie A’s 22nd matchday. The Bianconeri boss not only defeated his former club but also avenged his first loss as Juventus manager, which came against Napoli on 7 December.
Reflecting on the match, Spalletti stressed the importance of maintaining focus and self-belief.
The Match
“All matches are important — they’re all worth three points,” he said. “They’re all difficult, and this is an important victory for our awareness of what we do and for the players’ confidence that they can express high-level football. Your self-awareness puts you in the dimension where you want to be. These are games where you have to show yourself who you are, why you’re here, and why you do this.”
The Market and the Attack
Spalletti also analysed Juventus’ attacking options and praised David’s contribution:
“David is a strong player who tonight showed he can handle duels in the box. In the area, spaces are tight — not free. They’re spaces you have to tear away from your opponent, and he did just that. There aren’t ‘moments of play’, there are instants. If you put all your strength into those instants, it goes well; otherwise, you miss it. He scored a real striker’s goal — a great one, fitting his characteristics.”
The coach then touched on Juventus’ tactical needs and praised McKennie’s versatility up front:
“When Napoli press you high and force you to play long, you need someone like Højlund who can bring the ball down and clean it up. When a striker does that, try winning the ball back against him… Sometimes we’re missing someone who can do this, but we’re very happy with David. McKennie is a perfect central striker — he’s one of the strongest around at playing that role. He fights, he’s great in the air, has an impressive jump, and he doesn’t play to be told ‘poor guy’ — he plays to get results, because he makes decisions. He would be a perfect striker.”
Bremer’s Role and Defensive Focus
Spalletti also underlined the importance of consistency, praising Bremer’s defensive display:
“The match was always open because, when you don’t take your chances and the result isn’t safe, anything unexpected can happen. For me, what’s essential is that we always played the same way. The goal was always to press high. Bremer was excellent in one-on-one situations in open space. Højlund is strong physically, technically, and in making runs in behind — and Bremer handled those duels perfectly.”
