EMPOLI, Italy, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) — Juventus coach Thiago Motta was not satisfied with his side’s offensive display in Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Empoli, which made brave saves.
Juventus struggled against a well-organised host nation , registering just three shots on target, and managed only one shot at home against Roma before the international break in a goalless draw.
“We barely achieved what we wanted to express,” Motta said at a news conference.
“It’s one thing to shoot from the back, it’s another to get into dangerous areas. It’s not easy for a defensive team like Empoli to do that and we had difficulties.”
“(But) it’s not just Dusan (Vlahovic) who needs to fill the paint … we definitely have to improve our team and try to provide help for our attackmen and our backcourt players.”
Juventus’ failed attack was not the only concern for the Italian-Brazilian coach, who made four adjustments in midfield in the 67th minute.
Motta waived Manuel Locatelli, Nicolas Gonzalez, Douglas Luiz and Kenan Yildiz, and brought in forwards Hefrane Thuram, Timothy Weah and Nicolo Fagioli and forward Samuel Mbangula.
“They are great players and after a short training session they already understand what I want and how they should perform,” Motta said.
“All four players bring freshness. We haven’t made any changes at the tactical level, but we prefer to maintain continuity. Of course, these players will move forward together on the field, especially as a team.”
Juventus return to the Champions League on Tuesday after a season-long absence, hosting PSV Eindhoven in the 2024-25 league stage.
“Every game is different, the first two games we played the way we wanted to play. Today’s game is different from Tuesday’s because we faced a team that played very well,” Mo Ta said.
“We have to control the game efficiently without making them uncomfortable because when they have the ball they always attack with multiple players.”
