Spalletti Admits Eight Juventus Players Pushed Too Far Forward

Luciano Spalletti said Juventus lost their defensive balance through an overwhelming desire to win after the Bianconeri fell 3-2 at Sassuolo, twice coming back from behind before conceding to Vasilije Adzic with the last kick of the game. The result, detailed in JuveFC’s pre-match coverage, ended a run in which Juventus had conceded just once in their opening three rounds of the season.

Edon Zhegrova was the standout performer off the bench, scoring his first two goals in a Juventus shirt to twice pull the visitors level at the Mapei Stadium. Sassuolo’s response came through Sebastiano Esposito, Kieron Bowie and Adzic, who is on loan from Juventus and struck with the final touch of the match.

Eight Players Forward, Huge Gaps Behind

Spalletti pinpointed the moment his side lost shape, explaining that eight Juventus players were pushing forward to attack the ball, which left enormous space at the back. He accepted responsibility for encouraging that approach, saying the players believed they could win it and that he was the one who pushed them to go and get it, though perhaps they took his instruction too literally, according to Gianluca Di Marzio.

On Sassuolo’s opener, Spalletti conceded his side were not aggressive enough and held too high a defensive line, which contributed to a failed offside trap. He called it a fault Juventus must correct while still valuing the underlying intent to chase all three points rather than settle for a draw.

An Injury-Ravaged Squad

The defeat came with Juventus missing Manuel Locatelli, Jeremie Boga, Weston McKennie, Andrea Cambiaso, Kenan Yildiz, Khephren Thuram, Jeff Ekhator and Juan Cabal, as detailed on the Juventus injury list. Randal Kolo Muani struggled to make an impact, and Spalletti argued he should have received the ball more often to hold up play, while substitute Nick Woltemade headed a clear chance wide in stoppage time.

Spalletti reserved his warmest praise for Zhegrova, describing him as unpredictable and unstoppable when running at defenders, even while noting he sometimes holds the ball too long and could track back more when possession is lost.