JUVENTUS SEASON 2025-2026

[Socrates 9501]

Chiellini: ‘Spalletti long term at Juventus, this is a must win game’

 

 

Juventus director Giorgio Chiellini insists he sees Luciano Spalletti as ‘a long-term’ coach beyond his contract to the end of the season, but it’s a ‘must-win’ game against Pafos.

 

It kicks off at the Allianz Juventus Stadium in Turin at 20.00 GMT. ............

 

Does Chiellini wish he could step onto the pitch and play a game like this?

 

“My calf muscles do not agree,” he laughed.

 

“Today is a decisive match, Pafos are a team to be respected, but we absolutely must win today in order to continue our Champions League progress and get back on track after the defeat to Napoli.

 

“Our regrets remain not just at the loss, but how it came about.” ............

 

“Luciano spoke and sent out the same signals within the locker room as he does in the press room. He needed to push them, because it’s true that we’ve all got to do better.” ............

 

“We knew that Zhegrova would struggle for fitness at the start, but now he’s doing better and we are starting to see something special in training,” added Chiellini.

 

“He might have a half in him today or a little more, but it’ll be good if he can show from the start what he’s provided in the final 15 minutes so far.” ............

 

“I think Spalletti immediately got in sync with the squad and is here to enjoy this adventure. I think of him as being here long-term, not just until June,” assured Chiellini.

 

“The players can see that when they do what he asks, it can work. There’s a lack of consistency at the moment, we are a work in progress, and there is great faith in what he can bring to Juve today.

 

“At the end of the season, we will sit down, and I’d be happy for us to continue together.”

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Read more -> https://football-italia.net/chiellini-spalletti-long-term-at-juventus-win/

 

Modificato ieri alle 22:33 da Socrates

[Socrates 9501]

UCL | Juventus 2-0 Pafos: Precious Bianconeri victory after poor start

 

 

Weston McKennie and Jonathan David got the goals to give Juventus a precious Champions League victory over Pafos, after surviving a poor first half.

 

The Bianconeri’s confidence was low after Sunday’s 2-1 Serie A defeat to Napoli, so Luciano Spalletti introduced Jonathan David and Edon Zhegrova received his first start since December 2024 for Lille. ............

 

Pafos had two big chances in the opening minutes, as first a Joao Correia pull-back from the left found Anderson Silva’s back-heel flick just wide of the near post.

 

Moments later, they got down the right to roll across, Lloyd Kelly’s clearance hit Andrea Cambiaso and risked an own goal, testing Michele Di Gregorio on the ricochet.

 

Kenan Yildiz responded with a curler off the inside of the right foot that was beaten away, but Teun Koopmeiners should’ve opened the scoring with a free header into the ground off target on a corner from six yards. ............

 

Pafos had a huge double chance on 32 minutes when Anderson Silva swept his finish onto the base of the upright, then the move continued and another effort was deflected over. On the resulting corner, Dragomir was allowed a fantastic volley from the edge of the area, forcing Di Gregorio to fingertip it over the bar.

 

Weston McKennie’s strike was deflected off Goldar, but Jonathan David missed another sitter from a corner, prodding wide from six yards on the knock-down.

 

Lois Openda also came on and the three forwards combined beautifully to create a chance that the substitute eventually saw charged down for a corner.

 

On that set play, Juventus finally took the lead with another well-worked move. Andrea Cambiaso’s slide-rule pass found McKennie, who gathered with his back to goal, turned a defender and smashed the finish into the roof of the net from a tricky angle with his right foot.

 

The Bianconeri doubled their lead when Conceicao broke away in midfield and sent Kenan Yildiz down the left, he rolled across and David took a touch before sweeping past the on-rushing goalkeeper at the back post. ............

Juventus 2-0 Pafos

McKennie 67 (J), David 73 (J) ............

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Read more -> https://football-italia.net/ucl-juventus-2-0-pafos-precious-bianconeri-win/

[Socrates 9501]

McKennie and David strike as Juventus cruise to 2–0 win over Pafos

 

 

Juventus secured a deserved 2–0 victory over Pafos in the Champions League this evening, producing a composed performance that restored confidence after their disappointing defeat to Napoli at the weekend. That loss had interrupted what appeared to be a developing winning formula, making this fixture essential for rebuilding momentum and reaffirming their European ambitions. ............

 

From the outset, it was clear that Pafos had not travelled to Turin simply to absorb pressure. The Cypriot side was organised and competitive, determined to offer a strong account of themselves. Juventus, however, approached the match with purpose, fielding an exciting front three that promised sustained attacking intent. Although matches seldom unfold precisely as planned, the responsibility fell on Edon Zhegrova and Jonathan David to validate their selection, and both contributed effectively to the team’s forward play. ............

 

Recognising the importance of securing all three points, Juventus increased its urgency in the second half. Pafos maintained their defensive discipline, but eventually the pressure told. Weston McKennie provided the breakthrough in the sixty-seventh minute, guiding Juventus into a deserved lead. The goal lifted the hosts further, and Jonathan David soon doubled the advantage with a composed finish that reflected Juve’s growing control of the match. ............

 

The final whistle confirmed a result that aligned with expectations and reflected Juventus’ dominance throughout the contest.

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Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/mckennie-and-david-strike-as-juventus-cruise-to-2-0-win-over-pafos/

[Socrates 9501]

Kenan Yildiz: ‘A good Juventus victory, but I could’ve done better’

 

 

Kenan Yildiz was named Man of the Match after Juventus beat Pafos in the Champions League, but insists he ‘could’ve done better’ when providing an assist.

 

The Bianconeri had a rough first half in Turin and were jeered off the pitch by their fans, as Pafos had the best scoring opportunities and hit the woodwork.

 

However, Weston McKennie broke the deadlock by firing into the roof of the net from a tricky angle, then six minutes later Jonathan David finished off a well-worked team move for 2-0. ............

 

“It was a good performance, I think the first half was good too and we were lacking a goal, but we had more determination after the break and did well,” Kenan Yildiz said.

 

“This victory is for the team, I can also do better when I missed a goal, I should’ve provided an assist for David, but I didn’t see him. At least I got it later.”

 

“The defeat against Napoli was painful for us, we trained with concentration, we had a good performance today and hope to keep improving.” ............

 

Luciano Spalletti said that Kenan Yildiz does things in training that people wouldn’t believe, so what did the coach mean?

 

“I don’t know, I always give 100 per cent in training, as it helps me to grow and means I can help the team in match situations.”

 

This is the second Champions League win in a row for Juve, after their 3-2 victory away to Bodo/Glimt, and puts them on nine points from six rounds. ............

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Read more -> https://football-italia.net/kenan-yildiz-a-good-juventus-victory-better/

[Socrates 9501]

Spalletti: ‘Juventus embarrassing at times, but my vision is 4-2-3-1’

 

 

Luciano Spalletti admits Juventus were ‘at times embarrassing’ against Pafos in the first half, but explains his vision for the 4-2-3-1 formation going forward in the Champions League.

 

The Bianconeri were jeered off the field at half-time, as Cypriots Pafos has the better chances and repeatedly threatened to take the lead. ............

 

“It was fundamental to get the win, so with a victory many things look better,”  Spalletti said.

 

“Analysing the match, of course we need to do more, we are not happy, the lads are not happy with themselves, at times we did the bare minimum. Some situations in the first half were frankly embarrassing.

 

“We relaxed a little after the break and were calmer on the ball in making those decisions.” ............

 

“It also depends on the opponents. I wanted to make some changes in the first half too, but was worried about making things more confusing for the players. It is something we had tried in training, so it worked very well, we were more organised, more determined too to take home the win.

 

“These are difficult fixtures, Pafos conceded very few goals other than against Bayern Munich, you could see they have quality.” ............

 

“We did some things too in the first half,” noted Spalletti.

 

“It’s true we are having some difficulties defending, but clearly we need to get a right-footed centre-back available again, because Kalulu ought to be a full-back, and Weston is filling in at the moment. Cambiaso too is a very attacking players, but if he needs to defend against muscular runners, he has some difficulties, as his strengths are going forward.

 

“It’s true we allowed Pafos too much in the first half. We also made some cheap errors, sometimes it is incredible seeing the mistakes made, realising that our players cannot take advantage of those situations, but this is where we’re at right now.” ............

 

“My thoughts on the players do not change. So far, we’ve done too little compared to what I expect. At the same time, we returned from Naples at 5am, the day after that we went into a training retreat for the next game, so we barely get any time on the training pitch,” explained the coach.

 

“We worked on free kick positioning today, but there’s no intensity or tempo, it’s not possible with this schedule. I was blamed the other day for taking Yildiz off, but I did it again today because I hope to get him a little bit fresher for the next game. It’s those final 20 minutes that the players really feel in their muscles the next day.

 

“It does make a difference, I promise you. Also, those who haven’t played as much need time on the field. Miretti can do more, Adzic is a good player with quality, but you can see when he comes on for 20 minutes that there are things we need to adjust to bring him up to level. After that, I am convinced we’ll see something different, but until then, progress is slow, it’s true.” ............

 

“That is fair, I hope to get there when I have a central defender who can play with his right foot, otherwise it’s too limiting for us to play out from the back only down the left. We’ve also got two makeshift full-backs, but I do want to develop this 4-2-3-1 formation in future,” concluded the coach.

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Read more -> https://football-italia.net/spalletti-juventus-embarrassing-times-vision/

 

Modificato 14 ore fa da Socrates

[Socrates 9501]

Juventus 2 - Pafos FC 0: Initial reaction and random observations

 

 

For the second consecutive outing in the Champions League, Juventus put forward an opening 45 minutes that just about everybody would have liked to forget on Wednesday night in Turin. The reaction of those who root for the Bianconeri was as you’d expect when halftime arrived, too, with the full realization that something desperately needed to change if Juve wanted to actually come away with three incredibly important points.

 

Just like they did in the Arctic Circle, Juve came alive in the second half once again in Europe.

 

This time, though, there wasn’t any late-game heroics needed to actually secure those three points — which was a pretty nice change from what happened just a couple of weeks earlier.

 

Thanks to what was likely a bit of a one-sided conversation from Luciano Spalletti at the half, Juventus came out of the break looking very much the improved side they needed to be to try and make it back-to-back wins in the Champions League over very beatable yet pesky opposition. Just like against Bodø/Glimt, that improved second half resulted in Juve actually looking like the better side as compared to what happened in the opening 45 minutes. With the two CONCACAF boys, American midfielder jack-of-all-trades Weston McKennie and Canadian striker Jonathan David, providing the long-awaited breakthrough within five minutes of one another that put Juventus in front once and for all, the Bianconeri claimed a 2-0 win over Pafos FC to continue their ascent up the UCL league phase table.

 

Juventus entered the night in 23rd place, with Pafos right behind them in the final play-off spot.

 

With Wednesday night’s results now completely over and done with, Juve have moved up to 17th — nearly 10 spots higher than they were just two matchdays ago. And who’s all of one point and two table spots ahead of them? That would be Barcelona. Who’s also on 10 points a couple more spots up the table? Chelsea.

 

What’s all of three points away? The automatic qualification spots that come with being in the top eight. ............

 

If the magic number for securing a spot in the play-off round is around 11 or 12 points, then one more win against either Benfica or Monaco should do just that. (But then again, those will be two clubs absolutely fighting for their Champions League lives when they line up against Juventus come the new year.)

 

The problem was that for a large portion of this game, Juventus looked completely out of sorts. Or, the issues that we probably expected them to have against a team like Pafos that loves to absorb pressure and then try and hammer you on the counter were very much present. The worst part of it was that Pafos, the team that entered the night having surrendered the second-highest amount of shots in the league phase thus far, was actually outshooting Juventus. And that’s not some wonky kind of small sample size five minutes into the game, either. This was well into the first half when it was pretty clear that Juve just needed to survive until halftime without giving up a goal and then try and regroup.

 

They thankfully did both of those.

 

And for the first time in the Champions League this season, Juve were actually able to play with the lead rather than chase a game because they were behind on the scoreboard. ............

 

Juventus were much more on the front foot in the second half, they created more and, of course, they actually made Pafos pay for the pressure that they were creating. For so much of the first half you saw the ball moving around slowly, players not moving all that much while the ball was out wide and things just looking completely static overall. It was something Spalletti had to hammer home at the half — and clearly something that improved as the second half went on as the Pafos defense that had absorbed so much pressure finally started to crack.

 

It helped that McKennie had what felt like an elbow jumper in basketball and pretty much turned a relatively nondescript movement in the box into the opening goal that actually allowed Juventus to get in front.

 

And, unlike against Bodø/Glimt, there wasn’t any sort of madness that forced a David goal to suddenly be the thing that decided it. They didn’t have to scramble to get three points. They could actually play with a lead for a change — which is something that they’ve rarely had in their favor in the Champions League this season.

 

So now Juve can head into their final two UCL league phase games and control their own destiny when it comes to the play-off round and getting their best possible seeding. Thinking beyond that might be a little too much for now, but getting two straight wins in Europe has certainly turned things for the better as compared to how things were looking at the midway point of the league phase last month.

RANDOM THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS

• Two wins within a little more than 24 hours for the two Juventus senior squads in Europe? Yeah, I’ll take that.
• But, my god, can Juventus please start the games against Benfica and Monaco a little better? Watching these slogs of a first half continue to be the wrong kind of way to go about things. ............
• Can I just mention how great of a counterattack that was on David’s goal? It was quick, it was aggressive, Kenan Yildiz’s ball to David was on the money and David’s finish was nice to see after his struggles earlier in the game. That’s something you’d love to see more of from all involved going forward.
• David in the first half: 14 touches, three times dispossessed, one incredibly big chance missed.
• I mean, if you want to see a scoring chance that sums up David’s time at Juventus thus far, feels like that one he completed flubbed late in the first half is pretty much the best representation of that. ............
• Not exactly the first start for Juventus that Edon Zhegrova was hoping for. Then again, when you hadn’t started a game in a year (minus four days), you can understand why he’d be pressing a little too much. Yes, even somebody as chill as Zhegrova can do that, too. ............
• Spalletti wasn’t lying when he said Pafos’ roster is full of Brazilian and Portuguese players. Those were some wonderful names to see on the team sheet!
• David Luiz is basically my age and still playing in the Champions League. Didn’t have that one.
• Michele Di Gregorio gave us a bit of a scare with the ball at his feet late in this game, but he made a couple of big-time saves in the first half to keep Pafos off the scoreboard. If either of those shots go in, it’s a completely different kind of game — especially with Juve having to chase things once again.
• Just another European outing in which Wes McKennie scores an important goal. The man just delivers.
• Seriously, he was almost posting up right inside of the penalty area, put a little move on the guy marking him and unleashed a rocket of a shot into the top corner. Not bad, Wes, not bad at all.
• Wanna guess who was Juve’s leader in key passes? Yeah, it was Kenan Yildiz. That’s not a surprise. ............
• All those missed chances in the first half really came to bite Pafos in the backside, didn’t they?
• And all that struggle in the first half and then you look at the final shot count and Juve’s up 25-12.
• Juve finishing with 2.56 xG? In this economy?
• Give Yildiz a standing ovation every time he walks off the field. He deserves it. ............

Read more -> https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/previews-reviews/34556/juventus-pafos-fc-2025-champions-league-league-phase-matchday-6-final-score-result-initial-reaction-random-observations

[Socrates 9501]

Juventus player ratings vs Pafos: McKennie’s wand saves the Old Lady

 

 

At the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Juventus earned their second Champions League win in a row at the expense of Pafos.

 

The Bianconeri were slow and sloppy in the first half, as they were lucky to escape unscathed with the Cypriots harrying them on the counter. Nevertheless, a tactical change to four at the back did the trick in the second period. The Serie A giants became more dominant and eventually managed to break the deadlock through Weston McKennie, before adding a second thanks to Jonathan David. ............

Juventus XI (3-4-2-1)

Michele Di Gregorio – 6.5

The Italian shot-stopper made some important saves in the first half to earn his clean sheet.

Pierre Kalulu – 6.5

 ............

Lloyd Kelly – 7

The Englishman was a rock at the back for Juventus, pulling off a string of vital interceptions.

Teun Koopmeiners – 6

 ............

Weston McKennie – 7.5

The Texan broke the deadlock with a vicious shot to the top corner that left the goalkeeper with no chance. He also made crucial interventions at the back, including a goal-saving block.

Fabio Miretti – 5.5

The Juventus youth product offered so much quantity, but very little quality. His passes were intercepted more often than not, and he squandered a promising free kick with an abysmal delivery.

Manuel Locatelli – 6

 ............

Andrea Cambiaso – 6.5

 ............

Edon Zhegrova – 5.5

The Kosovar didn’t truly enjoy his full Juventus debut, as he didn’t see much of the ball, and found little space to work his magic. While he did show some flashes of brilliance, he was hauled off for Conceicao at the interval.

Kenan Yildiz – 7.5

The 20-year-old ran the show for Juventus. In the first half, he tested the goalkeeper with a curling shot, and won two free kicks in dangerous positions.

Nevertheless, it was his second-half display which truly stood out, as he danced his way around his opponents. He also provided the assist for David with a lovely square ball.

Jonathan David – 6.5

The Canadian has been under massive pressure, but after wasting a close-range chance in the first half, he kept his cool to slot the ball past the goalkeeper in the second period.

Substitutes

Francisco Conceicao – 7

A game-changing substitution from Luciano Spalletti. The Portuguese winger instigated both goals by providing the ‘pre-assists’, including a brilliant dribble and a sublime pass on the second goal.

Lois Openda – 5.5

 ............

Khephren Thuram – N/A

Vasilije Adzic – N/A

Juan Cabal – N/A

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Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/juventus-player-ratings-vs-pafos-mckennies-wand-saves-the-old-lady/

[Socrates 9501]

Spalletti confirms imminent formation change, blames Juventus duo for Zhegrova’s display: “They didn’t help him”

 

 

Juventus head coach Luciano Spalletti analysed the action following his team’s crucial win over Pafos on Wednesday evening.

 

The Bianconeri had started their Champions League campaign on a slow note, but have now picked up two victories in a row.

 

However, the Cypriots didn’t make it easy for the Serie A giants who failed to score in the first 60 minutes. In fact, Juventus were extremely close to conceding goals on counterattacks. ............

 

Naturally, the manager was asked if this result would signal a shift to a new playing system. While the change might not ensue immediately, Spalletti admitted that the aim is to eventually shift to a four-man backline.

 

“I hope to get there eventually when I have a right-footed central defender, so we can shift Kalulu to right-back,” said the 66-year-old in his interview.

 

“This time, things went well, but we’re playing have full-backs who concede defensively. We’re working on it. I want to develop the 4-2-3-1 and try to implement it.” ............

 

Spalletti finally granted Edon Zhegrova his Juventus debut, but the Kosovar struggled to find space and make an impact. ............

 

“When they forced us down the left, he had the opportunity to defend one-on-one, but he’s purely offensive,” explained Spalletti in his post-match press conference.

 

“Then, when he has the ball, he’ll go all the way. Edon needs to improve physically, but he had a very good first half, according to the doctors.

 

“They didn’t help him in the first half; Kalulu and McKennie suffocated him, but we tried to force the situation. Now he has 45 minutes in his legs, so going forward, he can either start matches or play the final half hour. We can make different decisions.”

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Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/spalletti-formation-change-juventus-zhegrova/

[Socrates 9501]

Capello: Juventus ‘had luck on their side’ in 2-0 win over Pafos

 

 

Former coach Fabio Capello is very critical of Juventus’ first-half performance despite a 2-0 win over Pafos: ‘They had luck on their side.’

 

Juventus secured their second win in the 2025-26 Champions League on Wednesday, beating Cypriot side Pafos 2-0 in Turin.

 

“Juve won and that’s fine, but it’s definitely not the Juve we all know. They were flat,” Capello said.

 

“The opponents created much more in the first half, and the Bianconeri had luck on their side. They had four huge chances. Then, in the second half and after some substitutions, Juventus managed to win but I repeat, I really didn’t like them in the first half.” ............

 

Safe to say that Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti agreed with Capello’s analysis as the Italian tactician admitted seeing “embarrassing things” from his players before the break.

 

Juventus sit 17th in the Champions League table with nine points in six matches and will meet Benfica and Monaco in the last two games of the league phase. ............

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Read more -> https://football-italia.net/capello-juventus-lucky-2-0-win-pafos-ucl/

[Socrates 9501]

Del Piero warns ‘Juventus isn’t for everyone’, offers advice to Spalletti

 

 

Alessandro Del Piero insists that possessing the required technical abilities isn’t enough to make a player suitable for Juventus. ............

 

On Wednesday evening, the Bianconeri escaped unscathed from their Champions League contest against Pafos. They ended up collecting three crucial points thanks to second-half goals from Weston McKennie and Jonathan David.

 

However, the fans were far from pleased with the team’s performance in the first hour, and the Allianz Stadium crowds expressed their frustration with jeers and whistles. ............

 

“There’s the weight of history, of the club, and of past glories. But also the weight of the more recent past,” said the 2006 World Cup winner during his post-match appearance.

 

“This team is also the product of what happened last season, when experienced players were replaced with younger ones.

 

“And the Juventus environment is not easy. It’s not an environment you can associate with just anyone. It’s just not for everyone.

 

“It’s a more complex situation. It can weigh on players because we’ve seen them perform well at other clubs. The difficulties are objective and daily, because today, the team won, but what if they end up conceding two goals in Bologna?” ............

 

“Spalletti is already enduring a defensive emergency, which is forcing him to change a lot. He has no tactical certainties or even automatic starters, except for Yildiz.

 

“This might not be easy, but you have to create some certainties. Otherwise, it becomes much more mentally draining for the players, especially for those who play less.”

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Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/del-piero-warns-juventus-isnt-for-everyone-offers-advice-to-spalletti/

 

Modificato 4 ore fa da Socrates

[Socrates 9501]

“He’s a great player” – McKennie credits Juventus teammate after scoring the opener

 

 

Juventus star Weston McKennie opened up on the opener he scored in the Champions League victory over Pafos.

 

The Bianconeri held stagnant possession during the first half, but their performance improved following Luciano Spalletti’s tactical change at the interval. ............

 

“I think the coach changed things a bit tactically, and that was good for us,” said the USMNT star in his post-match interview.

 

“This allowed us to attack better and create more chances. Scoring against a team like that opens up the pitch. Afterwards, we tried harder, they left us more space, and then came the second goal, which was incredibly important.” ............

 

The interviewer asked McKennie to tell how his goal came about, and the latter focused on Andrea Cambiaso, who picked him from the crowd with a sublime through ball.

 

“Andrea is a great player. He was able to see this gap and feed me the ball nicely to my left foot, so I could turn and shoot. Yes, it was a great move.” ............

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Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/great-player-weston-mckennie-andrea-cambiaso-juventus/

[Socrates 9501]

How many points Juventus need to qualify for Champions League playoffs

 

 

Juventus might be closing in on a place in the Champions League play-off round, but they have yet to reach the finish line. ............

 

The first eight advancing directly to the Round of 16. The clubs that finish between 9th and 24th must go through a play-off round, while the rest are eliminated from Europe altogether. ............

 

Juventus started the campaign on a woeful note, settling for three draws in their first three contests against Borussia Dortmund, Villarreal and Sporting Club, before suffering defeat away to Real Madrid.

 

Luckily, the team bounced back following Luciano Spalletti’s arrival, earning back-to-back wins over Bodo/Glimt and Pafos, which elevated them to 17th place. ............

 

11 points should be sufficient for clubs to advance to the next stage of the competition. Even 10 could be enough, but this naturally hinges on the other results.

 

At the moment, Juventus have nine points in the bag. Hence, one more win form their two remaining fixtures should do the trick, or even a couple of draws.

 

On the other hand, the source notes that the Bianconeri are unlikely to secure a place in the Top eight, even if they beat Benfica and Monaco. Another two victories would raise the club’s tally to 15, but based on last season’s results, 16 points were required for direct qualification to the Round of 16.

 

Nevertheless, Juventus would want to at least finish in the Top 16 in the table, as it would allow them to play the second leg of the play-off round at home.

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Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/how-many-points-juventus-need-to-qualify-for-champions-league-playoffs/

 

Modificato 4 ore fa da Socrates

[Socrates 9501]

Le Pagelle: Juventus vs. Pafos

 

 

It took some time and a whole lot of blood pressure medication for the fan base, but Juventus pulled themselves together after another hideous first half to beat Cyprian Cinderellas Pafos 2-0 on Wednesday night at the J Stadium. ............

 

MICHELE DI GREGORIO - 6.5. Made two huge saves to keep Pafos from going in front in the first half, which would have changed the tenor of the game completely. Dealt with crosses relatively well, but he gets docked half a point for that heart-stopping moment with minutes to go when he was nearly charged down in the box by Mons Bassouamina and was only really bailed out by the fact he was fouled.

PIERRE KALULU - 6.5.  ............

LLOYD KELLY - 6.  ............

TEUN KOOPMEINERS - 5.5.  ............

WESTON McKENNIE - 7. This was a big game for Wes. Obviously the highlight of the day was the goal, which was the kind of audacious finish that he’s been known to pull out of his hat from time to time. But he had three key passes, completed 93.8 percent of his passes overall—which for him is a really impressive number—and worked hard without the ball. It was his challenge that sprang the counterattack that sealed the game.

MANUEL LOCATELLI - 6. Led the team with four tackles—several of them the excellent slide tackles that are becoming something of a trademark. His booking for such an attempt midway through the second half was laughable, as he won the ball cleanly before David Luiz did some of his usual playacting. He also had two key passes, but he also needs to pick up the tempo of the team’s game when they’re in the final third, although that isn’t all his fault because for most of the first half none of his players were moving off the ball to try to pass the ball quickly to.

FABIO MIRETTI - 5. Bit of a flop for Miretti in his first major test in the starting XI. He did make three key passes, but none of his three shots were remotely close to the target, and he gave the ball away repeatedly. The worst was the first-half free kick that he basically passed to someone in Pafos’ wall. Now, the merits of a trick play there are debatable, but you still have to execute. Hope this doesn’t hurt his standing with Spalletti.

ANDREA CAMBIASO - 6.  ............

EDON ZHEGROVA - 5. Ring rust for the Kosovar, most likely. Given his long recovery and lack of minutes, I’m inclined to guess that taking him off at halftime was a planned maneuver as opposed to a reaction to his play—which was getting better. He grew into the game as the first half went on and had a shot deflected away by a defender later on.

KENAN YILDIZ - 6.5. Had four key passes including the inch-perfect assist on Jonathan David’s goal and finished the evening with four key passes and three dribbles—the leader and co-leader in those respective categories. Also had a shot well saved by Michael early in the first half, but seeing him contributing even without scoring is almost as good a sign as him actually putting goals in.

JONATHAN DAVID - 6. Will get a lot of stick for that missed chance just before halftime. I know he had his back to goal when he received the ball, but it was still in a spot that a striker with his track record is expected to score. He made up for it later on though, cooly beating Michael to end the breakaway. We’d seen him miss one or two of those the last few months, so perhaps he’s gaining some confidence—which would be a fantastic, because the Lille version of him is something Juve desperately needs right now.

SUBS

FRANCISCO CONCEIÇÃO - 6.  ............

LOÏS OPENDA - 6. The last couple of Openda’s games have been weird, coming off the bench but hardly ever seeing the ball come his way. He had only six touches in half an hour, but he made the most of them. His only pass of the game was a key pass, and he had two shots, one of which could have been quite dangerous indeed had his defender not thrown himself down to block it at the last second.

KHÉPHREN THURAM - 6.  ............

VASILIJE ADZIC - 5.  ............

JUAN CABAL - NR.  ............

MANAGER ANALYSIS

You can’t chalk up Juve’s first half crappiness to Spalletti this time. He didn’t make any tactical missteps, and I wouldn’t put much blame on him for the lineup changes he did make that didn’t quite work out. Miretti had warranted a start with his form since his return from injury, and seeing what Zhegrova could do with more than just a couple of minutes at the end of a game was important. Neither player was particularly good on this night, but should continue to get opportunities. Spalletti’s sub usage was better today as well, bringing on Openda early to force the action with his attackers while simultaneously covering Locatelli’s booking.

 

If I were Spalletti, if I were to focus on one thing in training between now and the game in Bologna on Sunday is to get guys to FREAKING MOVE IN THE FINAL THIRD WHEN THEY DON’T HAVE THE BALL!!!! ............

 

One of the knocks on Locatelli from his detractors is that most of his passes are lateral or backward. Well, duh, if no one is moving to create any kind of crease or void in the defense, you’re not gonna just hoof the ball into a covered passing lane! He and everyone else looking to try to create kinda need someone to make themselves a target in order to actually do the creative thing.

 

The team was better about this in the second half but still not great. In the last few years Juve’s been best at this during the better periods of Thiago Motta’s reign, and Spalletti has to bring it up to snuff if he wants this team to do anything other than flail against a low block for all eternity. ............

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Read more -> https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/previews-reviews/34584/juventus-fc-pafos-player-ratings-manager-analysis-2025-uefa-champions-league-league-phase-matchday-6-final-score-result

[Socrates 9501]

Ravezzani believes three Juventus players are having an ‘identity crisis’

 

 

Despite beating Pafos on Wednesday evening, Italian journalist Fabio Ravezzani slammed Juventus for their ‘disastrous’ performance in the first half. ............

 

In the first half, Luciano Spalletti’s men held possession, but they were too slow and sloppy on the ball to cause problems for the opposition.

 

In fact, the visitors were the more dangerous side, coming close to scoring on several occasions through blistering counterattacks.

 

After the break, Luciano Spalletti made a tactical switch from 3-4-2-1 to 4-2-3-1, helping the team become more effective in possession. ............

 

However, Ravezzani had seen too many red flags in the first hour of play to be washed away by the positive result.

 

“Juve were a disaster in the first half, but finally pulled through in the second,” posted the Telelombardia director on his X account.

 

“The Champions League standings have improved, but Spalletti must now make a real change.” ............

 

“Some players are having an identity crisis: Cambiaso, Locatelli, Openda. Others are struggling to perform at their best.” ............

 

For his part, Locatelli put on another shift in midfield, and never shied away from a sliding tackle, which allowed Juventus to win back possession on many occasions. However, the captain’s mediocre playmaking skills earned him jeers and whistles when Spalletti decided to hook him at the hour mark.

 

Finally, Openda offered little to nothing following his introduction, as his role in the team remains undefined.

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Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/ravezzani-locatelli-cambiaso-openda-juventus-identity-crisis/

 

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