Spalletti: ‘A double victory for Juventus, learning from Roma’

Luciano Spalletti feels Juventus earned a ‘double victory’ over Roma, by beating them and also learning from their aggressive approach, even if he criticised Edon Zhegrova’s ‘liquid’ defending.

The Bianconeri knew this was a huge test of their ambitions, as a defeat would’ve left them seven points adrift of the top four.

Instead, Francisco Conceicao and Lois Openda got the goals to secure a 2-1 victory and take them within a point of the Giallorossi.

Yet it was that late Tommaso Baldanzi goal conceded at the back post that most irritated Spalletti, with Zhegrova’s error the catalyst.

“A football match is like an empty box, you can’t just fill it with your own qualities, you’ve got to also put in some of the uncomfortable things you don’t enjoy doing,” he told Sky Sport Italia.

“For example, in the second half Yildiz dropped back and covered that flank. His opponents know how good he is, but I don’t think he yet realises how good he is, nor how he is already perceived by the other players.

“He does the work that he needs to do. When you are facing a team like Roma who are balanced, aggressive, who swarm at you with the third defender, the wing-back and another, if you don’t have Yildiz and Conceicao helping the defence, then they will break through.

“Well, Zhegrova is a player who at this moment cannot do that defensive work. If you can get him running at opponents going forward, he can be deadly. So I have to keep the ball in a position where he only has to do that. If I cannot, then we become vulnerable.

“I don’t believe Zhegrova will ever be able to defend solidly, those aren’t his characteristics. When he has to defend, he becomes liquid,” added Spalletti.

“He can run back into position, but sometimes you’ve got to cling on to your opponent, to make it a physical duel. It’s not his style.”

Spalletti also took time to praise Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma, who although they didn’t create as many chances, did see a lot of the ball in the first half.

“Roma are a side who will keep churning and churning, whereas we are not like that, we have moments where we drop out of the game, where we lose the ball cheaply, and lose sight of their wing-backs. They switch from side to side, so if we don’t manage to funnel them in one direction, we use up a lot of energy chasing them down.

“Even if they weren’t all that dangerous, their tempo, consistency, solidity, all that caused us problems in the first half. We also didn’t make the most of the counter-attacks that opened up. Their constant pressure, it wears you down, and you don’t have the energy needed to go on the counter.

“Gasperini’s teams create these mini-prisons that you feel like you have to break out of, there’s always someone on your back.”

It is the second consecutive big win for Juve, who had also leapfrogged Bologna with last week’s 1-0 result at the Stadio Dall’Ara.

Both Francisco Conceicao and Gleison Bremer, the defender with his first start since the meniscus tear on September 27, went off with slight muscular issues.

Check the Football Italia Player Ratings for Juventus 2-1 Roma

Juventus seem to be finding their feet under Spalletti, as they have won six of their last seven competitive matches, losing only to Napoli.

Considering the fixture list has no more head-to-head clashes coming up, is that an opportunity for Juve to close up on the top?

“I feel like biting you when you ask me things like that,” Spalletti told the interviewer with a laugh.

“What does that mean, no big games? They are all difficult now. Winning, and learning from those teams who you manage to beat, represent a double victory, because they also give you self-belief and the knowledge you can fight it out with anyone.

“We pushed to the very end, and even when conceding that late goal, the team wanted more. Now we will keep working and hopefully try to claw back some more lost ground.”