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 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."

Thiago Motta confirmed midfielder Teun Koopmeiners will be available for Juventus' upcoming Serie A clash with Parma on Wednesday. 

Koopmeiners, who joined Juventus from Atalanta in the summer, has missed the last three matches after sustaining a rib fracture in a 1-1 draw with Cagliari earlier this month.

The Dutch international had made seven appearances in all competitions for his new club before his injury, notching one assist in a win against Genoa. 

Koopmeiners' return to action is a timely boost for Motta, though he revealed Juventus are still without injured trio Gleison Bremer, Arek Milik, and Douglas Luiz. 

"We won't have Gleison, Douglas, Nico or Arek but we will recover Koop. We'll see if he can start from the first minute or be with us during the game," Motta told reporters.

Juventus come into the game against Parma on the back of an enthralling 4-4 draw with Inter in the Derby d'Italia over the weekend. 

Kenan Yildiz scored a second-half brace to seal a share of the spoils at the San Siro, but the Bianconeri remain five points behind leaders Napoli in Serie A. 

Motta was happy with his side's previous showing, but bemoaned their defensive lapses, having conceded two penalties against Inter that were converted by Piotr Zielinski. 

"It was a good performance at San Siro but we could have won," Motta said.

"But that's now in the past, everything else is just people's opinions and doesn't count much at this moment in time," Motta said.

"Something to improve, for sure is penalties. We must always finish with 11 men and not cause penalties. I always say, the next match is the most important.

"I respect everyone's opinions, mine as a coach is that we have to learn to manage the moments when others do better than us."

Juventus will be confident of maintaining Motta's unbeaten league start against Parma, who are without a win in their last seven Serie A matches. 

The hosts have done historically well against the Crociati, with Juventus unbeaten in 13 of their last 14 matches against Parma in Serie A (W10 D3). 

They have also won eight of the last nine matches played on a Wednesday in the Italian top-flight (L1), scoring 20 goals in the period (2.2 on average per match).

Parma, meanwhile, have not won any of their last 18 Serie A away games (D8 L10) and have only once recorded a longer away run without a win in the competition, between May 2007 and September 2009 (23).

Thiago Motta does not believe Juventus are Serie A title contenders just yet, despite their 4-4 draw with reigning champions Inter.

With Juventus trailing 4-2, teenager Kenan Yildiz came off the bench to score twice and rescue a point in dramatic fashion.

It is the third time in the history of these sides that they have shared an eight-goal Serie A clash, though this was the first such occasion since 1961.

While Juve hit back from a two-goal deficit to avoid defeat against Inter in a league game for the first time since 1978, Motta believes the way the Nerazzurri dominated much of the proceedings shows how far his side away are from challenging for the Scudetto.

"Not at this moment. We delivered a solid performance against one of the favourites for the Scudetto, alongside Napoli, who have maintained the core of their squad from a year and a half ago," Motta told DAZN.

"Right now, they’re ahead and capable of competing until the end for the title. While today was a good performance, we need to keep our feet on the ground.

"We’ll continue on our path, sticking to our ideas and our growth process. We’ll see what we’re capable of when the time comes. I’m being honest; I speak as things are.

"We sought something more in terms of both play and the right spirit; we wanted a different outcome after a first half filled with unfortunate incidents.

"They could have increased their lead but didn’t, and in the end, we could have won it. However, we need to understand why we perform well at times and struggle against the opponent's game at others."

Timothy Weah started in place of Yildiz, and scored in the first half, netting against Inter 25 years and three days after his father George had last scored a league goal against the Nerazzurri.

"I chose Weah because he could offer something interesting for us in transitions. Kenan can help the team in the second half by providing different options, whether as a winger, midfielder, or striker," Motta said.

"We know we have young players, but we believe we can perform much better than we did today. It's clear that the many absences may have had an impact; it’s not an excuse, but a fact." 

Indeed, Juve fielded their youngest starting XI (25 years, 212 days on average) against Inter in Serie A in the three points for a win era (since 1994-95).

Thiago Motta said Juventus' Champions League defeat against Stuttgart was in the past, as he eyes a win against Inter, a side he classed as "favourites" for the title.

The Bianconeri meet Simone Inzaghi’s side in the Derby d’Italia at the San Siro on Sunday, knowing a win will put them above Inter in the standings. 

Juventus are the only unbeaten team (W4 D4) after the opening eight games of a Serie A season for the first time since 2019-20, and are without defeat in six of the last seven matches played against Inter. 

Inter finished 23 points above Juventus last season, and although they’re within touching distance in the table, Motta insists there’s still a gap separating the two sides.

"It’s clear that the favourites to win the league are Napoli and Inter, they have won the last two Scudetti," Motta said.

"Tomorrow, we have to face Inter with focus and courage."

“They are a team that plays really good football, they created problems for many sides on the counter-attack.

“They’re a very dangerous side, they regroup quickly, when they get attacked they have a good defensive phase and are also very fast up front, we need to be careful.”

But Motta comes into the encounter on the back of his first defeat since his arrival at Juventus, with El Bilal Toure netting a late winner for Stuttgart.

Juventus had just one shot on target against the Bundesliga side, their fewest in a Champions League game since against Chelsea in September 2021 (also one).

However, Motta was not concerned about his side's showing, saying the defeat was firmly in his players' rearview mirror.

"There’s no need to work on mentality, the guys are in good shape. Understandably, in an historic team like ours, the expectations are extremely high," Motta said.

"It's the first defeat that's happened this season. Even when we win, we move on just the same.

"There’s no time to celebrate or dwell on a victory. The past is in the past; Stuttgart is behind us, and now we’re going to play Inter."

Thiago Motta shouldered the blame for Juventus' first defeat of his tenure after they lost 1-0 to Stuttgart in the Champions League on Tuesday. 

Motta, who took charge of Juventus in June, had won six of his first 10 games in charge, but watched on as his side were outplayed by the Bundesliga outfit on home soil. 

The contest was decided by El Bilal Toure, who notched the winning goal in second-half stoppage time, though the outcome should have been sealed much sooner.

Ermedin Demirovic struck the post while Enzo Millot saw his penalty saved by Mattia Perin, who was comfortably Juventus' standout player at the Allianz Stadium. 

Perin made nine saves, with no Juventus goalkeeper making more in a single Champions League match on record, equalling Christian Abbiati's nine stops against Bayern Munich back in 2005.

Motta lamented his side's attacking display, not helped by the absences of Nico Gonzalez, Teun Koopmeiners, Gleison Bremer, Arek Milik and Douglas Luiz through injury.

"I agree we need to do more in attack to compete with a team like Stuttgart, but in order to play well we need to be much better in defending than tonight," Motta said.

"We struggled to build anything and were not in a condition to do well. A team has to defend well so it can recover the ball and then use it well.

"We suffered out of possession, while the most we managed in attack was a few counters. I take responsibility for that, we must improve for the next games."

Juventus had just one shot on target against Stuttgart, their fewest in a Champions League game since a 1-0 win against Chelsea in September 2021 (also one).

When questioned about Juventus' physical condition, Motta denied there was any difference in the pace of Serie A compared to the other top five leagues in Europe. 

"I don't think we go slow in Italy. Certainly today in this match, we struggled with their rhythm and their game," Motta said.

"There are many things to analyse about Italian and international football ... teams that want to have the ball, high rhythm and low rhythm. This is the level."

Juventus now turn their attentions to league action, hoping to return to winning ways at the home of champions Inter, who are a point ahead of them in the table.

Thiago Motta believes his team must make strides with their consistency to compete in the Champions League and Serie A during his first season at the helm. 

Motta, who took charge of Juventus at the start of the campaign, is unbeaten in his first 10 games, winning six and drawing four in all competitions so far. 

Juventus needed a late own-goal from Mario Gila to edge past Lazio at the weekend, with the triumph ensuring they kept pace with the top two in Serie A. 

Motta's side, however, are among the lowest scorers in Italy's top flight with 11 - only nine teams in the division have scored fewer in the league than Juventus. 

However, Juventus have been prolific in this season's Champions League, scoring six goals in their two games, and are one of only seven sides with a perfect record so far.

And ahead of facing Bundesliga outfit Stuttgart at the Allianz Stadium on Tuesday, Motta has said his players must continue to improve if they are to achieve success. 

"There is no difference between the league and the Champions League," Motta told reporters on Monday.

"We must always have the same attitude, each match is a story in itself - with evolving strategies and situations.

"It's not just us who have difficulties against teams that close down well, everyone struggles, football is like that and that's why we have to give our all and believe until the end.

"We must continue to improve in all aspects, both in terms of the game and mentally. We hope to perform well, playing good football. That is the way we will have a chance of winning."

Motta was also asked about Turkish teenager Kenan Yildiz, who impressed at Euro 2024 but has yet to start firing for Juventus this term. 

The 19-year-old has failed to score in his eight Serie A appearances, managing just two assists so far. 

However, Yildiz has shown his quality in the Champions League.

He produced a fine finish in Juventus' 3-1 win over PSV Eindhoven, becoming the club's youngest-ever goalscorer in the competition, surpassing Alessandro del Piero's previous record.

"I'm happy with the work Yildiz does on the pitch, he puts all his quality at the disposal of the team," Motta said. 

"He can certainly do better. He was only born in 2005 and he's already making an impact.

"I'm happy with what I see both as a wide player and when he comes in more centrally."

Motta will be hoping Yildiz can help play a starring role as the Italian boss aims to become the third Juventus manager after Fabio Capello (first five) in 2004-05 and Marcelo Lippi in 1995-96 (first four) to win his first three Champions League games. 

He has reason to be confident too. Juventus have won each of their last five major European games against German sides (all since 2019-20), which is already their best winning run against such opposition.

Juventus left-back Juan Cabal was pleased to repay the faith of coach Thiago Motta after returning from injury to star in their 1-0 win over Lazio.

Cabal joined from Verona in July for €11million but has battled a niggling hamstring issue at the start of his Bianconeri career, missing the last six weeks.

He returned to face Lazio on Saturday, with his cross forcing an own goal from Mario Gila as Juventus avoided a fifth draw in the space of six games.

After the match, the Colombia international revealed Lazio had shown an interest in him previously, but said he only ever had eyes for Juve.

"Lazio looked for me before, but I was only thinking about Juve. I wanted to play for Juve since I was a kid and now I am here," Cabal told reporters.

"We all know Juve's history. We have to give our lives for Juve.

"The coach saw something different and put me out, but he has faith in me. He put me on the pitch at the right time. 

"It is difficult not to play for so long. But we must always be ready. I work all week to play even one minute," 

Saturday's win took unbeaten Juventus to 16 points from eight matches, level on points with leaders Napoli, who possess a game in hand.

"The important thing is to try to win every game. We want to be champions, but I can't tell you now that we will win the championship," Cabal said.

 

Paul Pogba's hopes of playing for Juventus again took a hit on Saturday when Bianconeri director Cristiano Giuntoli said that the Serie A side are complete without him.

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

The former France international had his punishment cut earlier this month from an initial four years to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport and will be eligible to play for Juve as soon as the ban ends.

Yet Giuntoli suggested Thiago Motta's side are content in coping without the World Cup winner, at least for the time being.

"Our position is clear. Pogba has been a great player, he has been out for a long time and last year we were forced to invest in other players," Giuntoli told DAZN ahead of Saturday's 1-0 win over Lazio.

"So now the squad is complete as it is."

Juventus have not missed Pogba so far this season, remaining unbeaten through their first eight league games after Mario Gila's own goal handed them the narrow win over Lazio.

The club are yet to release any further update on Pogba, whose contract in Turin expires in June 2026.

Juventus will have Timothy Weah and Nicolo Fagioli available to face Lazio in Serie A on Saturday, though Thiago Motta's men are still without six other players.

Juventus have not won at home in the league since the opening day of the season, when they beat Como 3-0. 

A run of four draws in their last five games has left them third in the standings, level on 13 points with fourth-placed Lazio.

Defender Bremer, midfielders Teun Koopmeiners and Weston McKennie, winger Nicolas Gonzalez and forward Arkadiusz Milik are all sidelined, Motta told reporters on Friday, while winger Francisco Conceicao is suspended.

"Fagioli and Weah will be available for selection," Motta said. "I want to see a performance deserving of a positive result. We must play well in many different areas."

Midfielder Douglas Luiz, meanwhile, seems to have turned a corner in training after a poor start to the season after his big-money arrival from Aston Villa.

"Luiz has a great attitude in training," Motta added. "He's doing really well, it's telling to see people's reactions in difficult moments and I've seen a fantastic reaction from him.

"So far when he has played he has done well, but he can do better."

Motta is expecting a tough challenge against the Biancocelesti, adding: "We must be ready for anything.

"I expected Lazio to be at the top of the table, they are a good team with a great coach who has deserved what he has won.

"We will have another chance to show that even in difficult times we can be a competitive team. The stadium will be full and that's good, it means there's enthusiasm."

 

Thiago Motta was left frustrated with Juventus' inability to make their dominance count after Razvan Marin's late equaliser snatched a 1-1 draw for Serie A strugglers Cagliari.

Dusan Vlahovic's early penalty gave Juve the lead but Marin's 88th-minute spot-kick cost the hosts two important points that would have moved them to within one of leaders Napoli.

Marin's late salvaging act was the first goal Juventus have conceded this season in the league, though their inability to build on the early strike was what head coach Motta bemoaned after Sunday's draw.

"Already in the first half, after the goal, we were content to control the game. It's no good," Motta told DAZN.

"We have to keep attacking. In the second half, we created chances but we didn't exploit them. There was always the feeling that Cagliari could come back into the game.

"In Serie A, all games are complicated, regardless of who we face and whether we play at home or away. Today we left room for Cagliari to get back into the game."

Vlahovic may have converted the penalty but was also guilty of missing an excellent chance to extend Juve's lead when he fired wide on the rebound from close range.

Motta's side accumulated a tally of 2.57 expected goals (xG) overall, compared to Cagliari's 1.12, suggesting three points should have ended in the hands of the profligate Juve.

The Italian head coach refused to point the finger at Vlahovic, though insisted improvements are needed.

"You can't say anything, it's a match situation. It happens and will happen," Motta said. "But there are other things that we can certainly do better in order to compete, to be able to continue to grow."

Francisco Conceicao made his first start of the season against Cagliari, but the Portugal winger was sent off late in the game when he received a second booking for simulation in the penalty area.

"I haven't seen the images, if it's simulation, it's the correct decision. It's something we've been talking about for a long time, simulations are not good for the game," Motta added in his press conference.

"I trust the referee, but now a precedent opens up and it must always be like this. It must always be done, not every now and then."

Thiago Motta believes the Juventus players will "all give something more" for Bremer after he suffered a potentially season-ending injury.

The Brazilian, who had played every single minute this season, was forced off with an anterior cruciate ligament injury early in their 3-2 Champions League win over RB Leipzig on Wednesday.

He has played a big part in Juventus keeping six clean sheets from six games in the league and has played more minutes (540) while making the most interceptions (six) and blocks (11) among his team-mates in the competition. 

Motta expects him to be a big miss against Cagliari at the weekend.

"Gleison [Bremer] is an important player for us," Motta said. "I'm very sorry for the boy, because already, humanly speaking, he is fantastic, technically I don't need to say it, we all know it.

"From now on we will all give something more, also because if it had been another team-mate who had to stop like that, I am convinced that he would have taken this responsibility to give something more every day."

Motta will also be without forward Timothy Weah, winger Nicolas Gonzalez, midfielder Vasilije Adzic, along with long-term absentee Arkadius Milik, but the manager expects a positive show from the players who come into the side. 

"Whoever comes in, I am convinced they will give something more," Motta said.

"Always thinking about the well-being of the team and giving a good performance to obtain the positive result, which is what we want to do.

"Tomorrow, in our stadium, our home, in front of our fans, a full ground, a great football atmosphere and we will do our job well from the first to the last minute."

Juventus impressed in Europe, recovering not only from early injuries to Bremer and Gonzalez, but also from going behind twice, and having keeper Michele Di Gregorio sent off.

Now, Motta wants his side to keep that enthusiasm without getting carried away.

"The enthusiasm, used well, is always good, and we use it to work," the manager said.

"We use it to come to the pitch every day and do our job well. This is the great advantage of being able to work with enthusiasm.

"It helps, and we want to maintain that enthusiasm, but it only depends on us. We will always have our feet on the ground, aware of our strengths, and using our strengths in the right way."

French midfielder Paul Pogba had his four-year doping suspension cut to 18 months on Friday, meaning he can return to action in March, but Motta's only concern is the immediate future of his team.

"On Paul Pogba, the club will evaluate what to do," Motta said.

"As for me, Pogba has been a great player, who hasn't played for a long time. Now I'm focused on tomorrow's game and everything else doesn't matter much to me at this moment."

Thiago Motta hailed Juventus' team spirit after they shrugged off two injuries and Michele Di Gregorio's red card to secure a thrilling 3-2 Champions League win over RB Leipzig.

Juventus, who are yet to concede a goal in Serie A this season, twice had to fight back from a goal down before securing the win with a late goal from Francisco Conceicao.

They endured a nightmare start as captain Bremer and winger Nicolas Gonzalez were both withdrawn after suffering injuries. 

They then went down to 10 men when Di Gregorio was dismissed for handling outside his area, but Dusan Vlahovic's brace had them level before Conceicao showed great feet to tuck home an 82nd-minute winner. 

"It was a good match, even in the first half where we made some mistakes in the details," said Motta. 

"In the second half, we did better, even playing with 10 men. It was a great performance and a great win.

"Courage from the boys, they were determined to push forward and hurt the opponents.

"Even with a man down, we had that feeling, so why step back? We kept pushing, and we did it well right until the last minute."

Two-goal hero Vlahovic echoed those sentiments, saying: "I'm really happy, especially for the team. We are becoming a real unit.

"We fought together, kept pressing even when we were down to 10 men, and in the end, we deserved to win. It was a great match, and fortunately, we came out on top."

 

Juventus are yet to concede a goal in Serie A this season and will face another solid defence when they take on RB Leipzig in the Champions League, but Thiago Motta expects an open game.

The Italian giants have played six Serie A games without conceding while Leipzig have the best defensive record in the Bundesliga, where they are unbeaten after five games and have only shipped two goals.

"The numbers mean a lot, it gives us solidity," Motta told reporters ahead of Wednesday's trip to Germany.

"We are two teams that don't sit back and wait for the opponent's mistakes. I expect an open game, a dynamic match against a competitive team who play good football.

"To do well, we will have to play with quality and maintain a good defensive phase as we have done so far, facing different teams, as well as the offensive phase of course."

The only goal Motta's side have conceded this season came in their opening Champions League game, a 3-1 win over PSV, but the former midfielder has dismissed suggestions the Bianconeri have played differently in Europe.

"It's not a question of the cup or the league. All games are different, when it comes to how we will face the opponent," Motta said.

"One thing is certain, we will not sit back, we will always try to compete for control of the game.

"We have never played defensively, not even in the league, and we will not do it this time."

Motta has no new injury worries and remained tight-lipped regarding his lineup, but he has already made his mind up over who will take to the pitch against Leipzig.

"No doubts about the formation, I am very sure of the choices," Motta said.

"Of course, that's if nothing happens between now and the game. I can't tell you, but the players already know the team."

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