Napoli defeated Juventus 2–1 at the Maradona Stadium, leaving the Bianconeri with plenty to reflect on. After the final whistle, Luciano Spalletti spoke to DAZN, analysing the match and sharing his feelings about returning to his former home ground.
“When they sing these songs that I know by heart, when they do this chant here, the Maradona becomes a unique setting,” Spalletti said, visibly moved by the reception.
On the Team’s Performance
Reflecting on the game, Spalletti did not hide his disappointment:
“We were more timid, they were stronger than us. We wanted to create superiority in midfield, but we didn’t manage it. We lost the ball and had to chase them. They have structure and pace, so either you keep possession or they make you run all over the pitch because they have strength and quality.”
Spalletti also explained his attacking choices at the start:
“You try to do something to gain a better understanding of what can work. Both Yildiz and Conceição are players who can keep the ball. Locatelli dropped a bit too deep to move it along the defensive line, and then the two forwards had little mobility. We got stuck in midfield, couldn’t move the ball quickly, or create numerical superiority. In the second half it was better because we went man-to-man, but even pushing high on their goalkeeper, they still managed to create a few problems for us.”
“We Need to Take Steps Forward Quickly”
Spalletti underlined the need for immediate progress:
“After the goal we took a bit more control, but still doing things too mechanically, without forcing the situations as a team, without looking for something extra. We need to take steps forward, and we need to do it quickly, otherwise it becomes difficult. We’ve already played several matches and made a few tests.”
When asked how far the team still has to go, Spalletti admitted:
“I don’t know how many steps are missing. We can do better than today. We gave them an incredible number of balls. If you don’t lead the game yourself, you end up being a passenger. When we had possession, we weren’t good enough at making our superiority count.”
Analysing the Goal Conceded
Finally, Spalletti commented on Juventus’s defensive lapse:
“The goal conceded at the far post? They set a block to free a man there, and we couldn’t find the right counter-move. There was always someone left unmarked. In this case, it was two against one who slipped through. Maybe we made it too easy for them with that cross.”
