Juventus coach Thiago Motta expressed his disappointment with his team’s performance in the 1-1 draw against Torino on Saturday. He emphasized that they have experienced “an excessive number of draws” recently, especially after taking the lead in their games.
Although Juventus remains undefeated in the Serie A campaign, they have recorded more draws than any other team in the league. This was their 12th draw out of 19 games, as Nikola Vlasic equalized for Torino after Kenan Yildiz scored an early goal for Juve.
“We had a good start, but once we took the lead, we retreated too much, allowing our opponents to create scoring opportunities. We should have been more aggressive and prevented them from reaching dangerous areas,” Motta told the reporters.
Motta also highlighted that they need to improve their aggressiveness and finish games more effectively in order to secure victories. He mentioned that this issue was discussed within the team during their post-match discussions.
“Undoubtedly, we have had too many draws, particularly after being in a winning position. Despite having a young squad and dealing with injuries, we should never use these factors as excuses. We have only lost two matches in all competitions,” Motta stated.
Due to injuries, Juventus had to face their city rivals Torino without striker Dusan Vlahovic, who was sidelined with a muscle problem, in addition to other key players like forward Arkadiusz Milik.
The Italian coach expressed satisfaction as Douglas Luiz made a comeback to the starting lineup following his recovery from muscle problems. “He performed admirably, and I am extremely pleased with his display,” he commented on the Brazilian midfielder’s performance. “We require as many players in good physical condition in our squad as possible. At the moment, I must extend my gratitude to (left back Andrea) Cambiaso for playing through pain by taking painkillers to assist us.” Juventus, who currently sit in fifth place with 33 points, will face Atalanta, who are in second position, on Tuesday, followed by a match against AC Milan next Saturday.
