Dusan Vlahovic says he finds it "easier" to play in Serbia's tactical approach than at Juventus.

The striker has started all 16 games since Thiago Motta took over this season, scoring nine goals in all competitions, with six of those coming in Serie A.

His recent form saw him recalled to Serbia's squad for the Nations League matches this international break, and he got an assist for their equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Switzerland on Saturday.

Overall, Vlahovic has racked up 50 goals at Juve since his move from Fiorentina in January 2022, but he seemingly suggested his game would improve in a different system.

Motta favours a 4-2-3-1 system, with Vlahovic playing as a lone striker, whereas on international duty, he plays as part of a front two, most recently alongside Aleksandar Mitrovic.

"It is a bit easier for me when there is another striker because Mitrovic holds up the ball and engages in aerial duels, so I can make more of my own characteristics and qualities," Vlahovic told RSI when asked the differences between playing for Serbia and Juventus.

"The coach also does not require many defensive duties from me, so that makes it easier too.

"With my physicality, I can't really run that much and am not as fresh in my finishing when I've been working so hard."

Juventus and Paul Pogba have agreed to the mutual termination of the midfielder's contract after he was banned over a failed drugs test.

The 31-year-old will complete his suspension in March after testing positive for DHEA in September 2023, a banned substance that boosts testosterone levels.

He was initially banned for four years, only for his punishment to be reduced to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in October.

Despite that reduction, Juventus director Cristiano Giuntoli recently cast doubt on Pogba's chances of representing the Bianconeri again, and he has now been released by the club.

Pogba had a contract with Juventus to run until June 2026, but he will now train in Miami in the hope of finding a new club before his suspension ends.

"The club wishes Paul all the best for his professional future," Juventus said in a statement.

Pogba added in a statement of his own: "It has been a privilege to pull on the shirt of the Bianconeri and to share so many special moments together.

"I cherish the memories we made. They live on.

"Even in the most difficult moments over the past year, your support was crucial and I want to thank Juve fans around the world for their compassion.

"I am looking forward to the next chapter of my career and to stepping out on the pitch with my next club."

Injuries limited Pogba to just 162 minutes in five appearances across the 2022-23 season, his first campaign back in Turin after leaving Manchester United.

He then played a total of 51 minutes as a substitute before being suspended last season, reportedly agreeing to take a substantial pay cut while ineligible to represent the club.

Juventus' Juan Cabal will undergo surgery after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee, intensifying the Serie A giants' defensive injury crisis.

The 23-year-old was forced to return to Turin after injuring his knee during training with the Colombia national team ahead of their World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Ecuador.

Cabal is the second Juventus defender to suffer an ACL injury this season after Gleison Bremer, who hurt his left knee during their 3-2 Champions League win over RB Leipzig last month.

Cabal has so far made nine appearances across all competitions this season.

Juventus are sixth in the Serie A standings and 11th in the Champions League's new-look league phase.

Beth Mead said that Renee Slegers has been a "breath of fresh air" ahead of Arsenal's Women's Champions League tie against Juventus on Tuesday.

Slegers has been in interim charge of the Gunners since Jonas Eidevall's resignation last month, and has impressed during her temporary tenure. 

She has won three of her four games at the helm, the latest of which came in a 5-0 victory against Brighton, moving Arsenal up to fourth in the Women's Super League table.

And Mead, who joined Slegers on pre-match press duties on Monday, believes Arsenal are heading in the right direction under her guidance.  

“It’s a breath of fresh air with Renee and we’re enjoying it so far," Mead said. "We’re in a good place at the moment.

"We have the environment to build again, it’s a release of new energy right now and when you get the results and the performances, then it makes you a happier footballer.

When asked if she would like Slegers to stay at Arsenal, Mead added: “In some capacity. We love having Renee here and will be happy with whatever she chooses to do.”

However, Slegers revealed she was unsure about what the future may hold, placing full focus on their upcoming Champions League clash.

"I think I get this question every time, and my answer will be the same," Slegers began. 

"I'm very much in the moment, I know that this will be the situation for this block, and we as the coaching staff are trying to do everything to help the girls forward.

"I think everyone is putting that little extra in from both the staff and the player's perspective. So I’m just trying to get the best out of Arsenal, because I care a lot.

"I really enjoyed the role I had before. Now I have to play this role for the team, so I’ll play this role for the team. About the future? I don't know."

Arsenal will be looking to improve their recent away from in Europe on Tuesday at the Stadio Comunale Vittorio Pozzo Lamarmora. 

They are winless across their last three Champions League away matches (D1 L2), only enduring a longer run in the competition once before (D1 L3 between 2003 and 2005). 

The Gunners sit second in Group C on three points, level with Tuesday's opponents, but Slegers is confident of sealing a big result in Italy. 

"We are going there to play our best football, and we have a big belief in what we can do tomorrow," Slegers said. 

"Looking at what we've been performing lately, and obviously scouting Juventus, we have a big belief in ourselves. 

"And then we'll see how the game progresses, what decisions we have to make, but we go there to win."

Beth Mead said that Renee Slegers has been a "breath of fresh air" ahead of Arsenal's Women's Champions League tie against Juventus on Tuesday.

Slegers has been in interim charge of the Gunners since Jonas Eidevall's resignation last month, and has impressed during her temporary tenure. 

She has won three of her four games at the helm, the latest of which came in a 5-0 victory against Brighton, moving Arsenal up to fourth in the Women's Super League table.

And Mead, who joined Slegers on pre-match press duties on Monday, believes Arsenal are heading in the right direction under her guidance.  

“It’s a breath of fresh air with Renee and we’re enjoying it so far," Mead said. "We’re in a good place at the moment.

"We have the environment to build again, it’s a release of new energy right now and when you get the results and the performances, then it makes you a happier footballer.

When asked if she would like Slegers to stay at Arsenal, Mead added: “In some capacity. We love having Renee here and will be happy with whatever she chooses to do.”

However, Slegers revealed she was unsure about what the future may hold, placing full focus on their upcoming Champions League clash.

"I think I get this question every time, and my answer will be the same," Slegers began. 

"I'm very much in the moment, I know that this will be the situation for this block, and we as the coaching staff are trying to do everything to help the girls forward.

"I think everyone is putting that little extra in from both the staff and the player's perspective. So I’m just trying to get the best out of Arsenal, because I care a lot.

"I really enjoyed the role I had before. Now I have to play this role for the team, so I’ll play this role for the team. About the future? I don't know."

Arsenal will be looking to improve their recent away from in Europe on Tuesday at the Stadio Comunale Vittorio Pozzo Lamarmora. 

They are winless across their last three Champions League away matches (D1 L2), only enduring a longer run in the competition once before (D1 L3 between 2003 and 2005). 

The Gunners sit second in Group C on three points, level with Tuesday's opponents, but Slegers is confident of sealing a big result in Italy. 

"We are going there to play our best football, and we have a big belief in what we can do tomorrow," Slegers said. 

"Looking at what we've been performing lately, and obviously scouting Juventus, we have a big belief in ourselves. 

"And then we'll see how the game progresses, what decisions we have to make, but we go there to win."

Thiago Motta hailed Juventus' "solid and concrete" display on their way to victory over Torino in Derby della Mole.

The Bianconeri claimed bragging rights in the Turin derby, with goals from Timothy Weah and Kenan Yildiz sealing all three points.

Juve climbed to third place - a point behind leaders Napoli - after extending their unbeaten start in Serie A, while earning a ninth clean sheet - the most of any side in Europe's top five leagues.

And Motta paid tribute to his players for their performance levels at the end of a busy seven days.

"It's always important to play with balance, and today, we put in an excellent performance, bringing home three precious points," he said.

"I am happy both for the result and for the level of play expressed in front of our fans, who supported us a lot. We have to thank them, as well as the boys, because it was not easy.

"It was the third game of the week, we were able to manage our energy well, and we were solid and concrete for the whole 95 minutes. A well-deserved victory."

Weah became only the second American to score for Juventus against Torino after Weston McKennie in 2020.

Next up for the Bianconeri after the international break is a showdown with AC Milan at San Siro, where Weah's father George played a starring role during the 1990s.

"Today I'm happy," he said. "We have to continue like this, because when we play like tonight, we're strong.

"Now, the match against Milan awaits us. It's important, also for me and for the history of my family."

Juventus climbed to third place in Serie A following a 2-0 victory over rivals Torino at the Allianz Stadium.

A goal in either half from Timothy Weah and Kenan Yildiz settled the Derby della Mole, and saw Thiago Motta's side extend their unbeaten start to the league season.

The Bianconeri broke through in the 18th minute when Vanja Milinkovic-Savic spilt a shot straight to Weah, who made no mistake from close range.

Weah thought he had doubled the lead in the 72nd minute, but the USA international was penalised for handball in the build-up to the opportunity.

However, Juve did put the contest to bed six minutes from time, when Yildiz nodded in Francisco Conceicao's deep cross at the far post.

Extending their unbeaten streak against Torino to 18 matches, Motta's side moved to within a point of Serie A leaders Napoli.

Data Debrief: Bianconeri extend unbeaten start with yet another clean sheet

Juventus have now registered nine clean sheets in Serie A this season, the most by any team in the big five European leagues.

Weah got the ball rolling, as he became the second American after Weston McKennie in December 2020 to score for the Bianconeri against Torino in Serie A.

Yildiz then sealed the victory. The 19-year-old became the third-youngest Juventus player to find the net in the Derby della Mole, after Felice Placido Borel (18 years and 243 days in 1932) and Bruno Nicole (18 years and 244 days in 1958).

Meanwhile, Torino have now suffered three successive defeats without scoring in Serie A for the first time since 2014.

Thiago Motta is confident Juventus will be at full intensity for the Turin derby as they looked to close the gap on the Serie A leaders, Napoli. 

Although Juve are the only team in the Italian top-flight who remain unbeaten, Motta's side lie sixth in the standings with 21 points after six draws in 11 games. Torino are 10th with 14 points.

A victory on Saturday would give Juventus an advantage, bringing them closer to leaders Napoli and second-placed Inter, who face each other on Sunday.

Juventus are unbeaten in their last 18 matches against Torino in Serie A (W13 D5), keeping a clean sheet in eight of these matches, including the two most recent. They are also unbeaten in 18 against their rivals on home soil in the league.

Motta, whose side drew 1-1 at Lille on Tuesday, said he is aware of what the rivalry means to the people of Turin ahead of his first 'Derby della Mole' as Juve coach.

"There are good feelings because I see the team doing well with the usual right attitude. There is a special atmosphere with our fans, and we want to give our best to play a great match," he told reporters.

"The importance of a derby is that the city lives it in an intense way, we will have to do our best to play a great game. Derbies, in general, are beautiful matches to play. Here I felt exactly that, and we will try to give great joy to our fans.

"The team is physically fine. We had three days of recovery and this makes the difference. I see the team and I have faith in everyone's commitment. Tomorrow we will enter the game at 200%."

However, Juve will be without Douglas Luiz, Nicolas Gonzalez and Vasilije Adzic, who are sidelined with injuries.

"Douglas Luiz came with us to Lille at my request to speed things up. Yesterday in training he still didn't feel great. So we won't risk him, and we'll see him again after the [international] break," Motta added.

"Nico Gonzalez won't be there. Adzic also had a problem and will need to be evaluated. He won't be there tomorrow."

Thiago Motta feels Juventus "deserved more" against Lille, insisting "I cannot be happy" with the 1-1 draw in the Champions League.

The spoils were shared at Stade Pierre Mauroy, where a second-half Dusan Vlahovic penalty cancelled out Jonathan David's opener in the 27th minute.

Juve responded well to falling behind, controlling large periods of the contest after the break, but were unable to turn their superiority into a winning goal.

That moved the Bianconeri onto seven points after four games, though Motta believes their tally should be greater.

"I'm happy with the players, but I cannot be happy with the result, we deserved more than a draw," he said.

"We faced a team who were well-organised, defended very well and who were ready to hurt us on the break. Lille know what they are doing, they are full of confidence at the moment. But it was a great performance from my lads.

"We certainly could've done better in the final third, though the quality of our football improved in the second half.

"We wanted a different result and created the opportunities to get that, but I am happy with the performance. We can improve certain things but, overall, I am satisfied with the way the team played."

Motta also praised the performances of Francisco Conceicao and Kenan Yildiz, with the pair carrying some of Juventus' greater threats down the wings.

"The two wingers who started were in good form, we knew that we would have to go down the flanks to break Lille down," the Bianconeri coach added.

"It was tough for us to push through the middle today because Lille were closing up all the spaces, so we had to attack wide with the wingers, and also the full-backs overlapping.

"Kenan and Francisco are very good at taking men on in one-on-one situations to break down teams that are clammed up.

"I really liked them in the second half, as they were in the right zones to accept the ball, and I am glad about what they both did."

Lille held firm to hold Juventus to a 1-1 draw at home on Tuesday in the Champions League, extending their unbeaten run to nine matches.

Jonathan David had fired the French club ahead in the first half, before Dusan Vlahovic scored a second-half penalty to level things up and leave both sides on seven points after four matches.

Things didn't start well for the home side, with Teun Koopmeiners thinking he had scored the opener for Juventus only for it to be disallowed for offside.

David put Lille ahead just three minutes later with their first chance of note in the match. The Canadian turned home to convert from a slick counter-attacking move.

Goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier had to be on form to keep the home side ahead before half-time, sensationally saving a Vlahovic half-volley 10 minutes before the break. Koopmeiners, meanwhile, had another effort chalked off in the 42nd minute.

Juventus upped the pressure in the second half, with Chevalier also upping things and pulling off two impressive saves in quick succession.

But ultimately, the Lille resistance was broken by a Vlahovic penalty on the hour after Francisco Conceicao had been fouled by Benjamin Andre.

The result leaves Juventus 10th and Lille 12th in the Champions League table.

Data debrief: Lille looking good for qualification

After drawing 1-1, Lille are unbeaten in nine matches in all competitions and three matches in the Champions League.

The French side had beaten Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid in back-to-back European games.

They now have a seven-point buffer between themselves and the bottom eight in the league table.

Thiago Motta stressed the importance of Juventus playing at their very best when they face Lille in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Juve face a tough task against a side who have already upset Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in this season's competition.

This will be the first ever meeting between these teams.

However, Juve have lost three of their last four Champions League matches against French opponents (W1), including both against Paris Saint-Germain in the 2022-23 campaign. and Motta warned against any complacency.

"All matches are important. We, as Juventus, always want to win. The most important thing is always trying to improve," Motta told reporters on Monday.

"Lille are very confident, and we want to face them in optimal condition. We aim to give more than our maximum.

"There are no favourites in a match. It's a beautiful game, in a beautiful stadium, and we hope the pitch will be in good condition tomorrow. We can only talk tomorrow about who played better."

Motta will have midfielder Douglas Luiz from injury, but is still without a glut of players.

"He's [Luiz] one more player who can help the team. We’ll be missing Arek [Arkadiusz Milik], Gleison [Bremer] and [Nicolas Gonzalez]."

Lille boss Bruno Genesio knows Juve will present a stern test for his team, despite their shock wins over the Madrid clubs this term.

"Every Champions League match is different, but there is one essential parameter to get a result - commitment," he said.

"Like all Italian teams, Juventus are very well organised, very difficult to play against. Having already achieved two big results in this competition, we are going to give it our all again and we have our fans who will give us strength."

Jonathan David will be one of the standout Lille players Juve have to keep a close eye on.

The Canada international has scored six goals in his last eight Champions League appearances for Lille.

Lille have won all five games he has scored in but have not won any of the six games he has featured in without scoring (D2 L4).

Thiago Motta hailed Juventus’ 2-0 triumph at Udinese as a real “team victory” as the Bianconeri snapped their three-match winless streak.

Following a Champions League defeat and two league draws, Juve moved up to third in the Serie A standings with a comfortable triumph at Bluenergy Stadium.

An own goal from goalkeeper Maduka Okoye and a strike from Nicolo Savona handed Juve victory, as they went unbeaten through their first 11 matches of a Serie A season for the first time since 2020-21.

"This is a team victory, because we interpreted the match in the best way," Juve coach Motta told DAZN. 

"In the first half, we could have played a bit more because Udinese allowed us to build from the back, the initial build-up.

"We moved the ball around and sometimes found some very interesting situations, but we lacked some depth at that moment, especially with our wingers

"Udinese have great confidence at the moment, we were good at compacting and playing."

Juventus next play at Lille in the Champions League on Tuesday before hosting cross-city rivals Torino in next Saturday's Turin derby.

"Today we have to enjoy this important victory for us and recover in view of Tuesday when the Champions League returns," Motta added.

"It will be very interesting to play against Lille. They have an extra day of recovery because they played yesterday, we will have to rest well to face this match well." 

Juventus ensured they returned to winning ways in Serie A after Maduka Okoye's own-goal and Nicolo Savona's strike earned them a 2-0 win over Udinese. 

After back-to-back draws against Inter and Parma along with their Champions League defeat to Stuttgart, Thiago Motta's side put on a dominant display away from home.

Juventus took the lead in the 19th minute when Khephren Thuram's effort struck the post, but fortuitously bounced off the back of Okoye and into his own net. 

Savona then doubled the visitors' advantage eight minutes before half-time, with the young Italian quickest to react to Kenan Yildiz's shot that rebounded off the post. 

Udinese did, however, improve after the break, and almost halved the deficit through Lorenzo Lucca, but his effort struck the crossbar in the 83rd minute. 

Juventus remain unbeaten in their first 11 Serie A matches this term, the first time they have reached this stage of the season without defeat since the 2020-21 campaign. 

Data Debrief: The Young Lady?

Juventus maintained their impressive record against Udinese away from home, earning their third away win in a row without conceding a goal. 

But they were helped by Savona, who is becoming a rising star at Juventus. The 21-year-old is the youngest Italian in the division to have scored at least twice this term.

Juventus are also the only team in Serie A this season to have more than one player born from 2003 onwards with two or more goals scored in the competition, in Savona (two goals, born in 2003) and Yildiz (two goals, 2005).

Juventus must improve all aspects of their performances if they are to challenge in Serie A this season, so says Thiago Motta.

Despite remaining unbeaten in the league, just two wins in their last eight games has left Juve in sixth place with 18 points, seven behind leaders Napoli.

On Saturday, Motta's side visit Udinese, who are seventh on 16 points, having suffered four losses in their last six matches.

Juve finished third last term, 23 points behind runaway champions Inter, and the season before they were seventh.

And asked about the growing gap between Juve and their title rivals, Motta said: "No club has won the Scudetto in November. We think about Udinese and we want to improve in all aspects, we must all do more, including myself.

"We have to do much better to stay high up in the standings, we are still at the beginning and it's clear that we have to do much better given the results.

"But if a team deserved more it was ours, I am not the only one saying this, you can see it in the data."

The data does not exactly support Motta's claims, however, given Juve have actually outperformed their expected goals, scoring 17 times from 15.2 xG, which is the seventh-highest total in Serie A.

Juve have been excellent defensively, conceding seven goals from 7.6 xG against, which is the lowest total in the league.

However, the Bianconeri have conceded six goals in their last two league matches, after a 2-2 stalemate with Parma and a thrilling 4-4 draw at Inter, but Motta said the issue lies not in defence alone but his side's overall coordination and decision-making.

"We must improve collectively, be united and help each other more. We must be aggressive and leave less space between the lines," he added.

"We must make the best decisions as a team. We can’t let the opponents feel comfortable on the pitch."

Juve have drawn 16 of their 30 league games in 2024 (W10 L4), a record in the top five European Leagues; only once have the Bianconeri recorded more draws in a single calendar year in their Serie A history (17 in 1956).

Juventus head coach Thiago Motta was critical of his team for making too many mistakes at both ends of the pitch in their 2-2 draw with Parma on Wednesday.

The draw saw them drop to fourth in the Serie A table, with the gap to leaders Napoli now seven points. It was also the second straight game in which they had to come from behind to avoid defeat.

But while the 4-4 draw with Inter on Sunday was seen as a point gained, this was two dropped according to Motta.

"I think today we conceded too many restarts. At their goal kicks, we were trying to bring the defender out to then be able to press and cause an error, but we didn't succeed," he told DAZN after the match.

"In the defensive phase we made a lot of mistakes."

Forward Dusan Vlahovic missed a brilliant chance inside the six-yard box, but failed to convert. Motta was unwilling to dig out his striker, but did suggest his entire team have to be better at converting chances after having 16 efforts on goal.

"We have to have balance and control of the game. Today we did well until the last two metres, but in the end we have to do better," he said.

"We created danger on the counter and we have to continue like this. 

"But we have to improve in bringing our team into the opponent's half, in finishing and not letting the opposition restart."

Timothy Weah supplied an assist and a goal to twice get Juventus back level in this match, but was later replaced by Inter hero Kenan Yildiz, who had scored twice to level at the weekend. The Turkey international almost scored a winner in added time and Motta was pleased with the output of both.

"Weah played well at San Siro and again today, scoring," Motta told Sky Sports.

"Kenan coming on later, with the game more open, is an ideal player to create situations. He has freedom in the final metres, it was normal today to want to open things up against such a closed team."