Juventus boss Thiago Motta wasn’t too displeased with the team’s performance in Cagliari, despite the disappointing showing in the second period.
The Bianconeri started the contest on the right foot, and Dusan Vlahovic marked his return to the lineup with a clever goal as he pounced on Yerry Mina’s clumsy mistake.
The visitors then had a host of chances to put some daylight between them and their hosts, but Kenan Yildiz failed to beat Elia Caprile on a couple of occasions, while Francisco Conceicao scuffed a glorious chance with a poor connection.
After the break, the Rossoblu were by far the better side, with Juve hanging onto dear life. They eventually managed to escape unscathed to make it four Serie A wins in a row.
Nevertheless, Motta was still satisfied with the display, while noting that the second-half drop was somewhat expected after their misadventure in Eindhoven on Wednesday.
“The result is always the most important thing but I am also satisfied with the performance, especially in the first half when we played good football, creating many chances,” said Motta in his post-match press conference (via the official Juventus website).
“The flaw was not putting the game to bed, and when that doesn’t happen, against teams like Cagliari, who are well organised, you risk causing problems for yourself. There was probably also a bit of tiredness from Wednesday.
“But on the positive side, in the second half, we were able to come under pressure without conceding almost any chances, even if we weren’t as dominant as we were at the start of the game.
“We must continue to work on transitions and on conceding as few free-kicks as possible to the opponent, who were able to progress up the pitch with relatively few touches of the ball. we must also have an effective game plan in the final third.”
Motta also provided updates on Andrea Cambiaso and Douglas Luiz who left the pitch while carrying knocks, revealing why he decided to risk the latter.
“Cambiaso has some adductor fatigue, but his ankle is better. With Douglas, we decided together, we risked him because he has no injuries. He didn’t finish the game, it’s a pity, because he’s a guy who wants to do well.”
