Thiago Motta admits Juventus ‘must improve’ and Vlahovic ‘could’ rest | OneFootball

Juventus coach Thiago Motta admits that the Bianconeri ‘must improve’ in all aspects and that Dusan Vlahovic could rest against the Udinese but insists that no club has ever won the Serie A title in November.

Juventus visit Udinese on Saturday after consecutive draws against Inter and Parma.

The Bianconeri are still unbeaten in Serie A this season but currently sit sixth in the table, outside a Champions League placement.

“The lads are fit today. We have the last training session before Udine. We are focused on the game and need a big performance,” Motta said at a pre-match press conference, as quoted by Ilbianconero.com.

“A club that has won the title now [in November] has never existed. We think about Udinese and we want to improve in all aspects, not only defensively. We must all do more, including myself.”

Thiago Motta admits Juventus ‘must improve’ and Vlahovic ‘could’ rest

epa11693104 Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic (C) in action against goalkeeper Zion Suzuki of Parma during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Juventus FC and Parma Calcio, in Turin, Italy, 30 October 2024. EPA-EFE/ALESSANDRO DI MARCO

The Serie A giants have conceded ten goals in the last six games across all competitions, but Motta feels it is not just a defence problem.

“We must improve collectively, be united and help each other more. We must be aggressive and leave less space between the lines,” he continued.

“We must make the best decisions as a team. We can’t let the opponents feel comfortable on the pitch.”

Dusan Vlahovic is not always involved in the play but still scored eight goals in 13 appearances this term. He has started every Juventus game so far, so he may rest tomorrow.

“It could be, but it’s a situation I must assess today,” said Motta.

“I must say that the players are not tired at this stage of the season; they are fit, but it’s a moment when we must all give something more.

“Dusan and the others must improve in attack and defence. What counts the most is not the touches but the impact on the game. It’s not about the quantity but the quality of what we do.

“We must do more to remain in the top spots. We must go to Udine to put on a big performance, get the result we want and climb the table,” the Juventus boss continued.

“It’s clear that we must do more. We were not at our best in the last game [against Parma], but surely we deserved more, as you can see from the stats and the images. It was not enough to win.

“Physical stats prove we were better than Parma. Now, we’ll face a physically structured team. They also play good football, keeping the ball for longer and making more shots on target. We must improve in all aspects to compete. They’ve won five games from six at home, only losing against Inter. They are solid at home.”

Motta confirmed that Douglas Luiz and Nico Gonzalez are still unavailable, while Teun Koopmeiners “is improving.”

“Surely, he’s not at his best because he was sidelined for a while,” continued Motta.

“He has recovered well, trained well, and always tries to help the team. We’ll see how long he can play tomorrow. He’s important to us.”