Thiago Motta: ‘Juventus must try to kill the game’ | OneFootball

Thiago Motta admits Juventus ‘certainly need to do better’ after a 2-2 draw with Venezia and cannot try to ‘run down the clock’ when taking a slender lead.

The coach was not on the touchline due to a ban, so assistant manager Alexandre Hugeaux was on the bench, but it was Thiago Motta who arrived for the post-match interviews.

The Bianconeri were fresh from a huge 2-0 Champions League victory over Manchester City midweek, yet went straight back to their current disastrous Serie A form.

They had taken the lead through Federico Gatti on a corner and saw a Kenan Yildiz similar goal disallowed for handball, then Venezia turned it around to lead 2-1 through Mikael Ellertsson and a Jay Idzes glancing header.

It was only a last-gasp Dusan Vlahovic penalty that snatched a 2-2 result in stoppages, their fourth consecutive Serie A draw, most of them when struggling badly.

Thiago Motta recognises Juventus problems

TURIN, ITALY – DECEMBER 14: Federico Gatti of Juventus celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Serie A match between Juventus and Venezia at Allianz Stadium on December 14, 2024 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

“We did not put in a good performance against a team that defended well. We certainly need to do better,” Thiago Motta told Sky Sport Italia.

“I had already said before the match, every game is different, so this was nothing to do with the Champions League and we cannot be satisfied with this performance.

“This is the step up we need to make. We had taken the lead and we should’ve kept pushing forward, to create more chances and kill off the game. We didn’t do that, we allowed the other team to get back into it.”

There was tension after the final whistle with Vlahovic shouting angrily at some of the ultras who were hurling insults at the players.

“The fans have the freedom to express their emotions and feelings. The players are the first who wish they could’ve changed things and won, so it is not a good moment. These things happen, it’s not the first time, it certainly won’t be the last.

“We must be united and keep going forward for the good of Juventus. We all want to change this situation. The fans have every right to express themselves, but we should remain united and together change things.”

Thiago Motta’s men are now nine points adrift of Serie A leaders Atalanta and nine points worse off than at this stage last season.

The statistics are really concerning for Juventus, who have now drawn 10 of their 16 Serie A matches this term, particularly dropping points a few days after big wins.

It was put to Thiago Motta that the Bianconeri won away to RB Leipzig followed by a draw with Cagliari, the 4-4 draw at Inter was followed by a draw with Parma, then victory over Manchester City was a few days off from this draw with Venezia.

“It’s true, all three games were completely different to the ones that followed. I am not trying to justify it, but in those open matches where the other side also took the initiative and tried to win, the ones afterwards were totally different,” acknowledged the coach.

“We do not want to remain where we are now and after taking the lead we need to keep playing, maintain this confidence to close the game and not try to run down the clock. We can’t do that against the big teams, so we should not do it against the others.”

Juventus had started the season with more entertaining football, but it was suggested by Sky Sport Italia pundit Gianluca Marocchi that Teun Koopmeiners should perhaps be in a deeper midfield role and Weston McKennie pushed into a more advanced slot instead.

“That is your opinion and I respect that, but I see them train every day, I see the way they play together and they also had the freedom to change position,” replied Thiago Motta.

“It’s not that I put a player behind the striker and tell him to stay there. They all have different movements to make to create problems for the opponents.”