Juventus manager Thiago Motta offered a frank evaluation of his team’s performance following their loss to Benfica in the final match of the Champions League group stage. The defeat, which drew criticism from fans at the Allianz Stadium, left Motta with no illusions about his team’s shortcomings.
“Throughout the entire match, we certainly didn’t deserve to win. They played better than us, especially in the first half,” Motta admitted. “In the second half, we opened up a bit more. Now we need to reset and focus on preparing for the league match against Empoli.”
Addressing the early substitution of Kalulu, Motta explained, “He slipped and felt pain. He couldn’t continue the match. We need to assess his condition. Locatelli performed well in a position that wasn’t his usual one, showing his versatility.”
Motta didn’t shy away from the impact of the defeat, stating, “A loss always hurts. We’re a great team with a great history, and when we lose, there’s no justification. A defeat is a defeat, and to win, we need to do better over the full 95 minutes.”
Looking ahead to potential playoff opponents, Motta remained confident: “PSV and Milan are both high-level teams. When the time comes for the match, we’ll be ready to play a great knockout game.”
