“We Played A Good Game, Penalties Can Be Missed By Anyone And That’s Football”

The new year kicked off with a far from ideal start for Italian giant, Juventus as they failed to get the win against Lecce at the Allianz stadium, playing a 1-1 against the lowly placed team and they had to come from behind to get that single point while also missing a penalty in the game.

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Apart from the missed spot-kick which would have given them the win, the Bianconeri also missed several clear cut chances in the game to continue with their unreliable form in recent times despite changing coach from Igor Tudor to Luciano Spalletti late last year.

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For their manager whose last job was with the Italian national team, he insisted that his twam produced a strong overall performance despite being held to a 1-1 draw by Lecce, while firmly backing his players after the late penalty miss as they missed a good opportunity to get back in the title race.

Speaking to DAZN, Spalleti admitted that the issue came inside the penalty area, where his side failed to convert their chances. “We need to improve our choices in the box. We put the ball into dangerous areas many times, both in the first and second half, but we never found the right touch to redirect it. That’s where we have to grow.”

Despite the frustration of dropping points, Spalletti was keen to highlight progress. “We played a good match, a very good match. The result always makes the difference, of course, but there were clear steps forward in our performance.” He continued in the interview.

The post-match discussion quickly turned to the missed penalty, but Spalletti rejected the idea of singling out individuals. He dismissed any controversy over who should have taken it, making his position clear. “David is a penalty taker and he takes them very well,” he said.

“He made the right choice, going down the middle, he just didn’t lift it enough.” Spalletti also noted that others in the squad are capable from the spot. “Locatelli is a penalty taker. Yildiz is a penalty taker. These decisions are made in the moment, in the emotion of the game. It doesn’t work the way you think from the outside.”

While acknowledging the disappointment, Spalletti stressed that Juventus must now move on quickly. “This match is gone, we didn’t win it, we drew it, but if we keep playing like this, we’ll win plenty of games. Now we have to make sure we take the next ones.” He replied.

Now, the Old Lady will look to turn performance into points as they prepare for the next test in a demanding run of fixtures that will see them face Sassuolo, Cremonese and Cagliari in the league before facing Benfica in the Champions league and then a tough encounter against Napoli and Monaco awaits after that.

Meanwhile, USA star, Weston McKennie has insisted that they must look forward rather than dwell on frustration in the aftermath of yesterday’s draw as he also spoke in his post-match press conference and the American midfielder felt the performance itself should offer encouragement.

“I don’t think this match should scare us,” McKennie said. “We played a good game. We were missing the final pass and penalties can be missed by anyone. That’s football, you have to move on and focus on the next match.” He continued in his assessment of the team’s performance.

When asked whether it felt like a missed opportunity, McKennie struck a balanced tone. “Yes and no,” he explained. “Matches like this can help you move up the table, so of course you feel a bit frustrated, but you can’t think about missed chances. You have to keep going forward.”

McKennie was also deployed in a more advanced role and said he was comfortable operating behind the forwards. “It’s not a new position for me. I’m always available for the coach and the team and I try to give 100 percent wherever I play. I like the trequartista role because you can help both defensively and offensively.”

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The midfielder was keen to defend teammate David after the missed penalty, stressing the importance of unity within the squad. “He doesn’t have to apologise to the team. This is football. We have to support him and keep his head up. He shouldn’t think about it anymore, hopefully he’ll score in the next match.” He concluded.

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