Spalletti: "A Grueling Match for Juve, in Every Sense"

Juventus fell to Sassuolo away from home. After twice equalizing late in the game, the Bianconeri conceded the decisive 3-2 goal on a counter-attack by former player Adzic in the fourth minute of added time.

In the post-match interview with DAZN, Luciano Spalletti explained his team's lack of balance in the final minutes. "This defeat stings excessively because the team could have won it," Spalletti stated. "The team lost its balance and reason to win, attacking with eight players on a play where we should have maintained at least numerical parity. But we could have scored the 3-2 goal ourselves; the players tried to win it, and I encouraged that. Perhaps they took my instructions too literally, flooding the box to turn the game around. We must acknowledge the team's positive intent to win at all costs. Then, we lost the ball instead of closing out the match, leaving these spaces open. It's certainly our fault, but it all stems from the desire to come back."

Spalletti also analyzed the performances of Kolo Muani and Zhegrova. "We need to involve Kolo Muani more; we're not doing that enough," he said. "We need to play to our center forward and provide support. In some instances, he needs to be more aggressive. Zhegrova has this quality; he becomes unstoppable when he creates tight one-on-one situations. Sometimes he holds onto the ball too long without passing to Kalulu, overemphasizing the dribble. Then he might lose an easy ball and lacks the quality to track back. However, if you play offensively and manage to keep the ball in their half, Zhegrova is an incredible player." Regarding Aquilani, Spalletti commented, "He had quality as a player. Now that quality is evident in his team. They were also helped by our loss of balance."

Speaking to Sky Sport, Spalletti added, "Can you be in a 2-on-3 situation on the final play? You cannot. We were eight against seven. You might lose the ball in a dead end instead of circulating it and shooting. It was a grueling match because it costs us greatly, in terms of enthusiasm, league standing... at every level. Tonight, they attempted what I asked. At halftime, what we were doing wasn't enough. In the second half, they tried harder. It's true that maintaining balance and a clear head in all situations is essential. We needed to be smarter there. Everyone assumed the ball would end up in the box for a physical duel, but it was lost instead."

Speaking to DAZN, Luciano Spalletti explained the team's loss of composure late in the match after Juventus conceded a late goal to Sassuolo. "The team lost its balance and reason to win, attacking with eight players on a play where we should have maintained at least numerical parity," Spalletti said. "But we could have scored the 3-2 goal ourselves; the players tried to win it, and I encouraged that. Perhaps they took my instructions too literally, flooding the box to turn the game around. We must acknowledge the team's positive intent to win at all costs. Then, we lost the ball instead of closing out the match, leaving these spaces open. It's certainly our fault, but it all stems from the desire to come back."

He further discussed individual performances: "We need to involve Kolo Muani more; we're not doing that enough. We need to play to our center forward and provide support. In some instances, he needs to be more aggressive. Zhegrova has this quality; he becomes unstoppable when he creates tight one-on-one situations. Sometimes he holds onto the ball too long without passing to Kalulu, overemphasizing the dribble. Then he might lose an easy ball and lacks the quality to track back. However, if you play offensively and manage to keep the ball in their half, Zhegrova is an incredible player." On Aquilani, he added, "He had quality as a player. Now that quality is evident in his team. They were also helped by our loss of balance."

In his comments to Sky Sport, Spalletti reiterated the defensive lapses: "Can you be in a 2-on-3 situation on the final play? You cannot. We were eight against seven. You might lose the ball in a dead end instead of circulating it and shooting. It was a grueling match because it costs us greatly, in terms of enthusiasm, league standing... at every level. Tonight, they attempted what I asked. At halftime, what we were doing wasn't enough. In the second half, they tried harder. It's true that maintaining balance and a clear head in all situations is essential. We needed to be smarter there. Everyone assumed the ball would end up in the box for a physical duel, but it was lost instead."