The first leg of the Champions League play-offs was a huge blow for Juventus. The Turin team lost 2-5 away to Galatasaray, leaving both their fans and their coach in a difficult position. After the match, Juventus head coach Luciano Spalletti gave a sharp and frank assessment of the team's performance - choosing not to justify himself, but to directly address the problem.
According to Spalletti, the main "bite" was felt in the first half. The team went into the break in a bad mood and, although they tried to improve the situation in the second half, their performance on the pitch deteriorated in terms of “character”. The coach even said: today Juventus took not one step, but three steps back. This phrase is not a simple statement, but a complete signal: the team went off the rails.
He focused on particularly dangerous episodes. Cambiazo noted that at the end of the first half, he was in danger of receiving a second yellow card. According to Spalletti, in such big matches, if you have received a warning, you need to know what to do next. In any case, Juventus lost Cabal, and this brought serious difficulties to the team. After this change, it was said that the Turin team also made many mistakes in attack - that is, the problem is not only in defense, but also in moving the ball forward.
Another important point of Spalletti: there is confidence that the team can improve its defense by playing. But at the same time, he also spoke a harsh truth: Juventus does not have players who are extremely effective in counterattacks or who provide absolute confidence in defense. Therefore, if the team falls below its level, it is always in danger - the opponent can "interrupt" the game with one or two quick episodes.
The coach also clearly emphasized the tactical issue. Juventus always wants to play in control of the situation, but sometimes football requires "simple" decisions: when there is a serious danger, you need to move the ball away, it is not always right to "play" off the field. Spalletti emphasized that it is not easy to play in such extreme situations, so the team must take responsibility.
In his opinion, Juventus is not yet in an optimal state, both individually and tactically. And this is exactly what made the situation in today's match even more difficult. The suspension also affected the complexity of the match, but Spalletti did not use it as an excuse: "We are here to work on situations like this," he said.
The last word was a strict and fair obligation to the fans: they must answer to the club and the fans. That is, in the return match, Juventus will have to restore not only the score, but also its reputation.
In short, the defeat in Istanbul is not just a "bad night". It is a lesson for Juventus that will make them look in the mirror. Now everything will be decided by the return match: can the Turin team really cancel the "three steps back" in one match - or will this injury last for a long time?
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