JUVENTUS SEASON 2025-2026

[Socrates 9720]

Spalletti: Juventus need a new striker, but Yildiz ‘is an alien’

 

 

Luciano Spalletti praises Jonathan David, Weston McKennie and ‘alien’ Kenan Yildiz but insists Juventus need a new striker in January.

 

Juventus secured a 3-0 win over direct rivals, Napoli, on Sunday, moving one point below the defending champions in the Serie A table. ............

 

“All the matches are important. They’re all worth three points,” Spalletti said.

 

“It’s an important win for the awareness of what we do and the players’ awareness that they can play high-level football. These are matches you have to show yourself who you are, why you’re here and why you do it.” ............

 

“David is a strong player, and tonight he showed that he can hold his own in a duel in the box, where there’s no space, so it has to be taken away from the opponent,” he said.

 

“If you put all your strength into those moments, it’s fine, otherwise you don’t get there. He scored a goal as a proper striker.

 

“McKennie is a perfect central striker, one of the strongest as a centre-forward. He fights, he’s strong in the air, and he’s got an impressive leap. He plays to get results because he makes decisions. He would be a perfect striker.

 

“The match was always open because when you don’t finish your chances and the result isn’t safe, something unexpected can come from any episode,” Spalletti continued. ............

 

“For me, what’s fundamental is that they always did things the same way. The idea was always to go and press. Bremer was excellent in one-on-one in open field. Hojlund is strong physically, technically and in running behind. He handled that one-on-one perfectly.” ............

 

“There are strikers like Hojlund who drop into midfield, you smash the ball into them, and they still make it playable,” he said.

 

“That’s something we don’t have. David is fine for scoring goals, but when you look further, you also need someone who battles physically with the centre-back. We don’t need a striker to score goals, but for that kind of job. David is very strong, but he can’t do that kind of job. If the team manages not to concede goals and David keeps scoring, like he is now. Then we’ll still keep our heads above the water we can breathe, and everything is perfect.” ............

 

“Yildiz played as a striker and scored. He’s an alien; he’s not a normal footballer,” argued Spalletti.

 

“Every now and then, he does something wrong just to see if he can fit into normality, but he can’t; he can’t become a normal footballer.”

 

Juventus’ next match is just around the corner as the Bianconeri will return to the pitch on Wednesday, away at Monaco in the Champions League.

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Read more -> https://football-italia.net/spalletti-juventus-need-striker-yildiz-alien/

[Socrates 9720]

Juventus 3-0 Napoli – Jonathan David: ‘I can feel my improvement, Spalletti always gave me confidence’

 

 

Jonathan David continued his improved run of form as Juventus swept aside Napoli with a convincing 3-0 win, with the Canadian forward opening the scoring and reflecting on a season he feels is finally clicking into place. ............

 

“Yes, I’m improving this season,” he said. “I can really feel that growth, not just individually but also within the team.” ............

 

The goal against Napoli took David to four league goals and six in all competitions, numbers that reflect a steady upward curve after a more difficult start. ............

 

For the striker, a key moment in that journey came earlier in the season after a missed penalty, an episode that, rather than setting him back, helped unlock something mentally.

 

“For me, that was the turning point,” David explained.

 

“From that moment, an important phase of growth began. I’ve always felt the coach’s confidence in me, and that shows on the pitch.” ............

 

“The celebration was something we thought of today, quite quickly,” he said with a smile. “You serve the coffee and then you drink it together.” ............

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Read more -> https://football-italia.net/juventus-3-0-napoli-jonathan-david-improvement/

[Socrates 9720]

Spalletti statistics speak for themselves as Juventus continue road to recovery

 

 

Juventus’ 3-0 win over Napoli felt significant not only for the opponent or the scoreline, but for what it continues to say about the direction of the club under Luciano Spalletti. ............

 

Juventus controlled the tempo, pressed with purpose and showed a clarity that has increasingly become a feature of their matches in recent weeks. ............

 

After 18 Serie A matches in charge, Luciano Spalletti has led Juventus to 12 wins, four draws and just two defeats.

 

That translates into an average of 2.08 points per game, a return that places Juventus firmly back among the league’s elite and reignites belief in a genuine push towards the top end of the table. ............

 

Under Igor Tudor, Juventus had started positively, but collected 1.50 points per match across his first eight league games.

Respectable, but not transformative. ............

 

What stands out most is not just the results, but the consistency. Juventus look calmer in possession, more aggressive without the ball, and far clearer in their attacking ideas.

 

Players such as Kenan Yıldız appear liberated. ............

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Read more -> https://football-italia.net/spalletti-statistics-juventus-transformation/

[Socrates 9720]

Juventus 3 - Napoli 0: Initial reaction and random observations

 

 

Within the span of five days, two opposing managers in the visitors’ dugout had the same kind of expression on their face as the final minutes ticked off the clock at the Allianz Stadium. First it was Jose Mourinho as Juve handed his Benfica a crushing blow for their Champions League hopes. And now, with his squad already decimated by injuries, it was our old buddy Antonio Conte putting two fingers up to his face to rub his eyes after Juventus’ thundered home a third and final goal.

 

Both games, both wins, were signs of just how much this Juventus squad have changed under the man who — especially considering the opponent this weekend — has started to put his stamp on this Juve team.

 

Luciano Spalletti’s Juventus beat Conte and Napoli 3-0 on Sunday at the Allianz Stadium. It was a stark contrast from what we saw from these two teams 49 days earlier in Naples, with Napoli taking advantage of Spalletti’s own experimentation to get three points in their first matchup against their former manager. But on Sunday, with Conte’s Napoli still dealing with the same kind of injury crunch that they were last month, Spalletti won it with the kind of football we actually expect from him — there was pressing, there was quick recovery of the ball, there were quality chances being created, all of it. This was a Spalletti win if there ever was one.

 

And it came against Napoli.

 

Say what you want about their injury situation, but this is still Juventus beating Napoli. This is Juventus getting within a point of Napoli in the Serie A table as they now wait to see what happens between Roma and AC Milan in the Italian capital. (And makes you shake your head about the dropped points to Cagliari last weekend, too.)

 

They were beatable back in December because of who they didn’t have on the field, but Juventus couldn’t get it done then. This time around, though, Juve did the exact opposite of that. They got the lead against Napoli thanks to Jonathan David’s third goal in his last four Serie A games, they then hunkered down and took Napoli’s biggest punch of the night and only true extended period of pressure, and then they put them away with Kenan Yildiz scoring his career-best eighth goal of the league season. The cherry on top came from Filip Kostic of all people, with a left-footed strike we haven’t seen from him all that often ever since he first wore bianconero under Max Allegri. ............

 

This is a different Juventus than the one we saw in southern Italy nearly two months ago. Spalletti has put his stamp on this squad, they’ve grown in confidence since the loss to Napoli and they’re playing an overall much-improved brand of football compared to the first few weeks of Spalletti’s tenure as Juve manager. ............

 

I just can’t get past the fact that they withstood Napoli’s only real extended push forward to try and even the game, defended things well, barely gave Michele Di Gregorio a thing to do and then delivered a knockout blow with about 15 minutes to go. That feels like a pretty good sign that this team, while still very much a flawed one, is really on an upward kind of trajectory under their manager now that he’s about to finish his third month in charge.

 

And just as a topper to all of this: With how Inter Milan are currently playing right now, did this Juventus win just put one of the final nails in the coffin when it comes to Napoli’s Scudetto hopes? Seems like it.

 

I’d call all of that a pretty good Sunday for Juventus.

RANDOM THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS

• That was … how do I phrase this properly so people get it easily … incredibly enjoyable. Yeah, that’s it.
• ANTONIO CONTE SALTA CON NOI!!!!!!! ............
• I wholeheartedly support Khephren Thuram playing like he did against Napoli for the rest of this season and his Juventus career. Whether it was because of his dad and brother both being in the stands or his overall form just getting better the last couple of weeks, Thuram was excellent. That was the Thuram of last season that had a whole lot of us excited about his future at the club. More of that, please, KT.
• I mean, Thuram won EIGHT tackles. EIGHT TACKLES! That is insane for a midfielder.
• Weston McKennie’s heat map is a thing of beauty. ............
• Somebody who also had an impressive kind of heat map with all the work on and off the ball he was doing? That would be a certain Canadian with the last name of David. The man was an absolute workhorse against Napoli. The goal was very well done and a sign of how he was able to use his strength to hold off his man, but overall you can just see his game starting to grow. Same with his confidence, too. He’s said it, Spalletti has said it and now we’re saying it here. He’s not on great form just yet, but David is certainly digging himself out of that early-season hole he found himself in.
• This had to be one of the quietest games that Scott McTominay has had ever since joining Napoli and I feel like the work that Thuram and especially Manuel Locatelli did to mark him out of the game is a huge reason for that. McTominay has been on an absolute heater of late, and yet he barely made a peep against Juventus.
• That Locatelli assist on the David opener was pretty great, too. Don’t forget that part.
• That Fabio Miretti assist after just coming onto the field on Yildiz’s goal was pretty nice, too.
• We would like to thank Juan Jesus for that mistake that led to Yildiz’s goal. Thank you, Mr. Jesus. ............
• Lloyd Kelly is also good! What a big step forward he’s made since joining Juventus a year ago now.
• Praising Kelly pretty much every post-game thread I write over the last few weeks? Did not expect that to be the case, but here we are — and I’m quite happy to be proven wrong. Keep doing you, Lloyd. ............
• Di Gregorio had to make one save. It was pretty early in the game. Other than that, dude did not have a whole lot to do — and that’s what we like no matter who’s in goal for Juventus.
• Kostic scored as many goals as he attempted crosses. If only that was always the case, right?
• I say that in jest, but Kostic popping up on the right after Spalletti brought him on was at first more of a defensive move more than anything else. But then it turned into a move that resulted in him scoring a really nice goal thanks to his extreme left-footedness. That works just fine in my book. ............

Read more -> https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/previews-reviews/35766/juventus-3-napoli-0-initial-reaction-and-random-observations

[Socrates 9720]

How Juventus fans mocked Conte during 3-0 win over Napoli

 

 

Juventus fans mocked their ex-coach and midfielder, Antonio Conte, in the final minutes of a home 3-0 victory last night: ‘Jump with us.’

 

Juventus secured a 3-0 victory over rivals Napoli last night, thanks to goals from Jonathan David, Kenan Yildiz and Filip Kostic. ............

 

The entire home crowd stood up after the third goal scored by Kostic at minute 86, singing, “Antonio Conte, jump with us.” ............

 

A former midfielder and coach for Juventus, the relationship between Conte and most Juventus fans collapsed when the Italian tactician took over at Inter, the Bianconeri’s biggest rivals, in 2019.

 

Juventus fans mocked their former star and coach, but didn’t insult him, while they loudly booed Romelu Lukaku when the Belgian was introduced as a substitute in the second half, making his first appearance in 2025-26. ............

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Read more -> https://football-italia.net/how-juventus-fans-mocked-conte-3-0-win-napoli/

Modificato Lunedì alle 14:48 da Socrates

[Socrates 9720]

Thuram explains Juventus goal celebrations against Napoli

 

 

Khephren Thuram explains Juventus’ goal celebrations in their 3-0 win over Napoli and insists ‘we can still improve’ under Luciano Spalletti.

 

Juventus secured a massive 3-0 win over rivals Napoli at the Allianz Stadium last night. ............

 

Thuram spoke at a press conference attended by Football Italia last night, during which he explained the Bianconeri’s goal celebrations: “We celebrated by drinking a coffee. When Kenan scored, he did a star, and we mimed little sparkles. I don’t know what we’ll do going forward, but it’s nice.” ............

 

“Our goal is to win because we are at Juventus. We must always try to win and grow, as a team and as players,” Thuram continued.

 

“We’ve been improving a lot since the coach arrived, but we can still improve even more, and we’re working toward that.” ............

 

The Bianconeri currently sit 5th in the Serie A standings, just one point below Roma and Napoli, who occupy a Champions League placement.

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Read more -> https://football-italia.net/thuram-juventus-goal-celebrations-napoli/

[Socrates 9720]

Le Pagelle: Juventus vs. Napoli

 

 

There was celebration at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday night, as Juventus completely dismantled Napoli in a 3-0 victory that pulled them to within one point of their opponent for fourth place.

 

It was perhaps their best performance of the season. They completely throttled the defending champions (barf), dominating the midfield and keeping Antonio Conte’s men from posing much of any threat to Juve’s goal. ............

 

MICHELE DI GREGORIO - 6.  ............

PIERRE KALULU - 6.5.  ............

BREMER - 6. Mostly held Rasmus Hojlund in check, but pushed his luck to the absolute brink at the end of the first half when he put an arm around the Dane’s head in the box. Luckily, nothing came of it. Had a rough day passing, completing only 71.4 percent.

LLOYD KELLY - 6.5. Made three tackles and three clearances, while negating most all of Napoli’s attempts to attack down his flank. Helped make Giovane’s debut quite flat indeed.

WESTON McKENNIE - 6.5. Played in several different positions over the course of the game, starting as a right wing-back before moving into the trequartista spot of a 4-2-3-1 and ending the match playing as the No. 9. Had two key passes and led the team with five clearances, while helping keep the midfield firmly in Juve’s control.

MANUEL LOCATELLI - 7. Dominated the midfield battle with Scott McTominay. Constantly marked the Scot out of proceedings, while still finding the time to complete 92.8 percent of his passes and make a truly outrageous pass for the assist on David’s opening goal. Finished with three tackles and a pair of blocked shots defensively.

KHÉPHREN THURAM - 8. The standout of the match on all levels. He made a mind-bending eight tackles, and was desperately unlucky not to score the opener with a fantastic shot that thunked off the corner of the woodwork. Also noteworthy was his lung-busting run through the middle of the Napoli defense at the end of the first half, resulting in a corner kick after his shot was blocked. He’s been regaining form the last few weeks, and this may have been the best match he’s ever played in Juve colors.

ANDREA CAMBIASO - 5.5.  ............

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

KENAN YILDIZ - 7. Had a pair of key passes and his finish on the goal was typically excellent. Made a great impact even though he was getting draped by a pair of defenders most of the time.

JONATHAN DAVID - 7. Scored a great goal in the first half, and it’s really clear that he’s regained his confidence. He ran everywhere, leading the game in distance run by the time he was taken off. Here’s the guy we were promised when he signed.

SUBS

FILIP KOSTIC - 6.5.  ............

JUAN CABAL - 6.  ............

FABIO MIRETTI - NR.  ............

TEUN KOOPMEINERS - NR.  ............

FEDERICO GATTI - NR.  ............

MANAGER ANALYSIS

Seven weeks ago Spalletti completely bottled things against Napoli. On Sunday, he got everything right. The way he set the team up was pitch-perfect. He was able to completely wipe out McTominay, who had been a major problem in the return, and completely neutralized the Napoli attack.

 

What was a little bit more concerning, at least at first, was how the team came out in the second half. It looked for all the world like Spalletti had made the out-of-character decision to sit on the 1-0 lead and ride out the rest of the match on defense. It was enough to give flashbacks to other coaches whose first impulse was to do that. I, for one, was getting nervous as 20 minutes or so went by with Napoli controling 70 percent or more of the possession in the half. Napoli had barely put a shot towards goal—much less one on target—during that time, but we’ve seen Juve waste games like this with a single mistake even when they were dominating the match.

 

But close to the 70 minute mark or so, Juve started to come out of their shell. They looked to attack more, and when Yildiz scored the second goal it let the air out of Napoli like a balloon, and Juve kept complete control of the game from then on out. Looking back, it feels like Spalletti was lying in wait for those first 25 minutes or so of the half, waiting for the Napoli players—who had hardly anything on the bench to back them up thanks to their mountainous injury list—to show some signs of fatigue before springing the team forward and running them ragged in the last phases of the match. It feels like Conte was sensing the same thing on the Napoli sideline, because he threw on two of his meager subs to try to counteract that within five minutes of each other. It isn’t a surprise that Juve regained their control of the match as time ticked on after that.

 

If that’s where Spalletti’s mind was going, it was a superb reading of the situation. One way or the other, he cooked up a fantastic plan to smother Napoli and right the wrongs from the December game in Naples.

LOOKING AHEAD

Juve now turn their attention to the Champions League league phase finale on Wednesday at Monaco. Depending on the results around them, a victory could secure a high place in the seed pot for the playoff round, or, if everything goes right, a place in the top eight to bypass the playoff round altogether.

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Read more -> https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/previews-reviews/35813/le-pagelle-juventus-napoli-player-ratings-manager-analysis-2026-serie-a-matchday-22-final-score-result-vs-napoli

[Socrates 9720]

Elkann congratulates Juventus after 3-0 win over Napoli

 

 

Juventus owner John Elkann visited the team in the dressing room at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday, congratulating them on a 3-0 win over Napoli. ............

 

Juventus posted pictures of Elkann visiting the Bianconeri players in the dressing room in a visibly relaxed mood after a big win.

 

Last night’s win leaves the Bianconeri fifth in the Serie A standings, one point below Napoli and Roma, who occupy a Champions League spot. ............

 

Juventus’ next game is away at Monaco on Wednesday, in the final game of the league phase of the Champions League. ............

 

 

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Read more -> https://football-italia.net/elkann-congratulates-juventus-3-0-win-napoli/

[Socrates 9720]

Spalletti eager to see Juventus and Openda ‘without pressure’ in Champions League

 

 

Luciano Spalletti confirmed big Juventus changes for tomorrow’s Champions League trip to AS Monaco. ‘Lois Openda is upfront, curious to see us without pressure of needing a result.’

 

It kicks off in Monaco on Wednesday at 20.00 GMT (21.00 CET), the final round of the league phase in this tournament. ............

 

“There is no better way to prove our current form,” assured Spalletti in his press conference.

 

“We do not have the tension of needing a result, so let’s see what we can do when we are free mentally.

 

“Monaco won’t be making calculations, they cannot afford to sit back and wait, while we are playing to win, to aspire to something more. I expect an open and entertaining game against a strong opponent.” ............

 

“We played two days ago and will play again two days after that, so there will be a few adjustments. I can say that Koopmeiners will play in midfield, while Bremer and Gatti need to be evaluated for their fitness levels.

 

“Openda is going to start upfront. If I give him space, he should be able to sort out this difficulty he has in scoring goals. I am curious to see how this team fares without that anxiety of needing a result at all costs.

 

“We are in the best possible situation, in the Champions League without feeling the pressure of three obligatory points. I’ll make a few changes, yes, but I still want to see a high level of performance.” ............

 

“It’s not the meaning of the words, but the rapport you have with the players that allows you at times to express yourself in a more decisive fashion,” explained the coach.

 

“It might be interpreted differently from the outside, but internally this is our way of doing things on a daily basis. Openda is a player with certain characteristics and qualities that are clear for all to see.

 

“He has this nice boy persona that in my view limits him a little bit. He feels the pressure, many things get to him, he struggles to relax into the game.

 

“I think, giving him the right space, sooner or later he will resolve those difficulties that he has. And tomorrow might be the time he gets that space.” ............

 

Quite aside from the Champions League, Spalletti was also pressed on the controversy with coach Antonio Conte, who he angered when referring to Napoli as ‘former champions of Italy.’

 

“I thought it was AI, then I realised it was real. I had hoped you would ask me different things in a Champions League press conference,” laughed Spalletti.

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Read more -> https://football-italia.net/spalletti-see-juventus-openda-without-pressure/

Modificato Martedì alle 23:20 da Socrates

[Socrates 9720]

Modificato Martedì alle 23:35 da Socrates

[Socrates 9720]

AS Monaco vs Juventus: Preview and Prediction

 

 

Sebastian Pocognoli has plenty of questions to answer about his utterly out-of-form AS Monaco side. The French giants are yet to win a game in 2026 in Ligue 1, while they are in the worst spell of their otherwise difficult season, where they ended a four-game losing streak with a goalless draw to Le Havre. ............

 

Juventus are not in any danger of bowing out of the Champions League basis of the result of the final group phase game. The Bianconeri are certain to qualify for the playoff rounds, although there is still a slim chance that they will slip into the top eight if they can win and results elsewhere go their way.

 

An In-form Juventus extended their winning run to five games, with a smashing victory over reigning Italian champions Napoli in Turin. They also moved up in the Champions League standings with a stellar result against Benfica last week.

Team News & Tactics

AS Monaco

 ............

 

 

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kohn; Ouattara, Kehrer, Teze, Henrique; Zakaria, Camara; Akliouche, Golovin, Fati; Balogun

Juventus

Luciano Spalletti will also be without a handful of his first-team stars ahead of this trip to Monaco. Apart from Dusan Vlahovic, Daniele Rugani and long-term absentee Arkadiusz Milik, the visitors are also missing Jonas Rouhi and Carlo Pinsoglio from action ahead of this midweek clash.

 

Beyond that, Spalletti will be able to put up another strong side to contend against AS Monaco, with key man Kenan Yildiz one of the sure starters for Juventus.

 

Gleison Bremer and Lloyd Kelly will continue their growing partnership at the heart of the defence, with Pierre Kalulu and Andrea Cambiaso stationed in the full-back roles. Manuel Locatelli and Khephren Thuram remain the mainstay in midfield, while Fabio Miretti could assume the attacking midfield duties.

 

Weston McKennie continued to show his versatility by assuming multiple roles in the side, as he could be preferred in the attacking third off the right-hand side. With Yildiz on the left, Jonathan David might be the preferred choice to lead the line, while Lois Openda could be stationed on the bench.

 

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Thuram; McKennie, Miretti, Yildiz; David

Key Stats

• AS Monaco have conceded three or more goals in each of their last two home fixtures.
• AS Monaco are unbeaten in their last three home games in the UEFA Champions League.
• Juventus are undefeated in their last five matches against AS Monaco across all competitions.
• Juventus are on a five-game winning streak across all competitions.
• Aleksandr Golovin created six chances against Real Madrid on Matchday 7, becoming just the fourth AS Monaco player on record since 2003/04 to create 6+ chances in a UEFA Champions League game, along with Jerome Rothen (3 times), Thomas Lemar and Caio Henrique. It was the most Golovin had ever created in a match in the competition.

Player to Watch

Jonathan David

Juventus recently tried to sign Jean-Philippe Mateta, which was a clear indicator that the club wanted to strengthen the centre-forward department. While they have cooled their interest in the Frenchman, it is also an indication of faith in their striker David, who has been turning up in games of late.

 

The Canadian international has a goal contribution in each of Juventus’s last three Champions League games, while also finding himself on the scoresheet against Napoli. The game against AS Monaco is another chance for him to build momentum against a familiar opposition, given that he spent a considerable period in Ligue 1.

Prediction

AS Monaco 1-3 Juventus

Monaco are in a difficult run of form, but will surely rely on their three-game unbeaten run at home in the UEFA Champions League. However, the manner of their defeat at the hands of Real Madrid exposed plenty of defensive problems that Juventus might have picked up in their viewing of the opposition.

 

Juventus are on a five-game winning run in all competitions, and they are widely expected to add another one to the tally. They are superior in all aspects to AS Monaco, and could get a top win to boost their chances of finishing in the top eight, although a playoff spot is all but guaranteed.

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Read more -> https://thehardtackle.com/round-up/2026/01/28/as-monaco-vs-juventus-preview-and-prediction/

[Socrates 9720]

Preview: Monaco vs Juventus - prediction, team news, lineups

 

 

Battling to stay alive in this season's Champions League, Monaco will welcome Juventus to Stade Louis II when the league phase reaches its climax on Wednesday.

 

Juve have already wrapped up a playoff place - and could even sneak into the final top eight - but only victory will guarantee their hosts' place in the knockout stage.

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Match preview

Having been dealt a merciless thrashing by Real Madrid last week, Monaco's tally of nine points from seven games leaves them 21st in the standings ahead of Wednesday's grand finale. ............

 

After drawing 0-0 with Tottenham Hotspur and beating Galatasaray 1-0, they are still unbeaten at home in this season's competition, and they must surely maintain that record to make the top 24.

 

History will not be on their side, however, as Monaco have lost four of six previous meetings with Juventus, winning just one.

 

After making a slow start this term, they have recently shown signs of promise under new management; following last week's 2-0 defeat of Benfica, Luciano Spalletti's side have won their last three Champions League matches.

 

Having previously beaten Pafos and Bodo/Glimt, Khephren Thuram and Weston McKennie found the target in Turin, as Juve secured a playoff place with one round remaining.

 

Sitting 15th in the table on 12 points, the Bianconeri are just one shy of the all-important top eight, but they will need several results to go their way to progress without the need for a playoff.

 

To have any real chance of seizing an automatic spot in the last 16, Juventus must win again on Wednesday, following up on back-to-back victories last week.

 

After taking care of business against Benfica, they maintained their unbeaten home record in Serie A by conquering the Scudetto holders on Sunday evening.

 

Continuing his recent rise to prominence, Jonathan David started the scoring in an emphatic 3-0 win over Spalletti's former club Napoli, keeping Juve in the hunt for a top-four finish. 

 

Monaco Champions League form:

D D W D W L

Monaco form (all competitions):

W L W L L D

 

Juventus Champions League form:

D L D W W W

Juventus form (all competitions):

D W W L W W

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Team News

 ............

 

Juve's injury woes have begun to subside, as only Daniele Rugani, Dusan Vlahovic and long-term absentee Arkadiusz Milik are sidelined; however, Bremer and Federico Gatti are both short of full fitness.

 

Kenan Yildiz notched his eighth Serie A goal of the season last week, and he could join McKennie, who has scored in his last three Champions League appearances, behind a lone front man.

 

David has recorded two goals and an assist during the Bianconeri's recent hat-trick of league-phase successes, but Spalletti has suggested Lois Openda will start. 

 

Monaco possible starting lineup:

Kohn; Vanderson, Kehrer, Teze, Henrique; Camara, Zakaria; Akliouche, Fati, Golovin; Balogun

 

Juventus possible starting lineup:

Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly, Cabal; Locatelli, Koopmeiners; Miretti, McKennie, Yildiz; Openda

 

We say: Monaco 2-2 Juventus

Now enjoying their best form of the season, Juventus should at least hold their ailing hosts to a score draw.

 

Burdened by injuries and nosediving confidence, Monaco may be left at the mercy of others, with one point not necessarily enough to see them through.

 .

Read more -> https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/as-monaco/champions-league/preview/monaco-vs-juventus-prediction-team-news-lineups_590706.html

[Socrates 9720]

Champions League Preview: Monaco vs. Juventus

 

 

Ninety minutes to go.

 

The second edition of the Champions League league phase is down to its final matchday. And just as was the case 12 months ago, we’re entering a final day of the league phase in which there will be all 36 teams playing at the same time and there will likely be plenty of chaos and movement in the table before the 18th and final triple blast sounds on Matchday 8. ............

 

For Juventus, that final league phase fixture comes in the Principality against a Monaco side that is hanging on for their Champions League life and enter Wednesday night’s matchup sitting in 21st place. For Monaco, a positive result likely means they’ll sneak into the play-off round, but a loss pretty much leaves their fate in Europe to what the other teams around them — including our old buddy Antonio Conte and Napoli down in 25th — during the course of the final matchday. But when it comes to Luciano Spalletti and Juve, they may already be in the knockout phase, but there’s the chance for three more points — and if that does happen, then the chance to move even further up the league phase table with their fourth consecutive win is very much a possibility.

 

There’s just the fact that Juventus have a chance at being one of the top seeds in the play-off round — or maybe even more than that — was something that didn’t exactly feel all that possible when Spalletti took over at the end of October and saw his new club play to a draw against Sporting a few days later.

 

But what has happened over the next two-plus months has played a big reason as to why Juve are where they are in the Champions League table now.

 

Juventus’ three European wins under Spalletti have been very different kinds of victories. They had to do a wild second-half comeback against Bodø/Glimt. They then had to use what felt like all of their patience possible to see off Pafos. Then, this past week, they got a solid if not unspectacular 2-0 win over Benfica to clinch a spot in the knockout rounds. They’ve come in different ways, but Juve are still getting wins in Europe — which is something that wasn’t happening during the first half of the league phase schedule under Igor Tudor.

 

So now, as we head into the final 90 minutes of said UCL league phase, it’s the hope that one more time three points can be earned as you let the dust settle elsewhere with everybody playing at once.

 

Monaco enter Wednesday night’s league phase finale with fitness concerns up and down the roster. That is especially true in defense for manager Sébastien Pocognoli, who replaced took over in mid-October following Monaco’s turbulent start to the 2025-26 season. They’re coming off a 6-1 thrashing at the hands of Real Madrid, a result that ended Monaco’s five-game unbeaten run in the Champions League. ............

 

It’s been nearly a decade since Juventus and Monaco last played. Those were much better days in the Champions League, with the 2017 matchup being what proved to be a head-to-head tie that Juve won to make their second final under Max Allegri in three years.

 

This time around, Spalletti is just trying to get one more win out of this team in the league phase and hope for the best potential finish in the table because of it. Just as was the case over the weekend, Spalletti’s squad will be facing a team that is extremely short-handed due to injuries, and taking full advantage of that will be a huge thing for a team that is looking like it’s on the right track heading into a very important February.

TEAM NEWS

• Three players are out injured for Juventus’ trip to Monaco: Dusan Vlahovic, Daniele Rugani and Arek Milik.
• Spalletti said at his pre-match press conference that there will be changes in the starting lineup. He didn’t say how much rotation there will be, but there will be some, he noted. He did mention two names who will certainly be coming into the starting lineup: Teun Koopmeiners — who was alongside Spalletti at the press conference — and Loïs Openda.
• During his pre-match press conference, Spalletti noted that Gleison Bremer has played quite a bit since returned from injury last month. What that means for his status in the starting lineup against Monaco remains to be seen, but it certainly is something that Spalletti is aware of when it comes to his best defender.
• Despite the winning trend continuing over the weekend, Spalletti continued to hammer the fact that he feels like this Juventus squad still has room for improvement as they enter their final fixture of January.

JUVENTUS PLAYER TO WATCH

Spalletti, in a rare occurence since he took over as Juventus manager, tipped his hand when it came to a couple of his starting lineup choices. ............

 

The last time we heard anything Spalletti and Openda related, it was the “pat” on the check heard around Italy before the Belgian forward came on as a substitute against Benfica. It’s at a point in the season that Jonathan David has become Spalletti’s preferred choice up front, with Openda’s last start coming a month ago on Dec. 27 against Pisa. Since then, David has scored in multiple games while Openda has failed to replicate the kind of performance he had when he was on the scoresheet against Roma on Dec. 20.

 

But, as Spalletti clearly said, this is going to be Openda’s night to make something happen up front. ............

 

That “right kind of space” comment is what could be used to Juventus’ advantage. Monaco need to get a win to ensure that they’re in the Champions League play-off round. They will surely try and push for goals because they’ve got so many absences in defense and have actually created a decent amount of chances during their other matchups in the league phase. But when it comes to a situation where you know a win is the only thing that ensures you’re not watching the rest of this season’s Champions League from home, that can open up plenty of spaces for your opponent to run into.

 

Enter Openda and his speed. You know, just like we saw against Roma last month.

 

That is where Openda has the chance to excel more than David because he’s simply much more of that kind of forward. How Spalletti plays it will be interesting to see because the Roma win can be a prime example of what things can look like when the tactics are more to Openda’s profile — and then it all works.

MATCH INFO

When: Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026.

Where: Stade Louis II, Principality of Monaco.

Official kickoff time: 9 p.m. local time in Italy and across Europe, 8 p.m. in the United Kingdom, 3 p.m. Eastern time, 2 p.m. Central time, 12 p.m. Pacific time.

 .

Read more -> https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/previews-reviews/35781/monaco-juventus-2026-champions-league-league-phase-matchday-8-preview-team-news-schedule-how-to-watch

Modificato ieri alle 14:44 da Socrates

[Socrates 9720]

Champions League: Monaco vs. Juventus – probable line-ups

 

 

Lois Openda is expected to start in attack for Juventus in an away Champions League match against Monaco.

 

It kicks off at 21:00 CET (20:00 GMT) at the Stade Louis II in Monaco. ............

 

Multiple sources claim that Openda will start as a sole striker, pushing Jonathan David to the bench.

 

Kenan Yildiz and Weston McKennie are confirmed in the Bianconeri’ XI, while Fabio Miretti returns to the line-up replacing Francisco Conceiçao.

 

Andrea Cambiaso is expected to start on the bench, making room for Juan Cabal as a left-back. Manuel Locatelli will also rest as Spalletti will likely pick Teun Koopmeiners and Khephren Thuram in the middle of the park. ............

Monaco vs. Juventus – probable line-ups

Monaco (3-5-2): Kohn; Vanderson, Teze, Kehrer; Caio Henrique; Zakaria, Camara, Akliouche, Ansu Fati; Golovin, Balogun.

 

Juventus (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly, Cabal; Thuram, Koopmeiners; McKennie, Miretti, Yildiz; Openda.

 .

Read more -> https://football-italia.net/ucl-monaco-v-juventus-probable-line-ups-tv/

[Socrates 9720]

[Socrates 9720]

[Socrates 9720]

[Socrates 9720]

[Socrates 9720]

UCL | Monaco 0-0 Juventus: Spalletti seals play-offs

 

 

Juventus have confirmed that they will compete in the Champions League knockout play-off round after settling for a 0-0 draw away against AS Monaco in their final league phase match on Wednesday night.

 

The Bianconeri came into this evening’s tie knowing that even with a victory, they would need favours from several other sides if they were to reach the top eight.

 

Luciano Spalletti made a few interesting personnel choices, including the decision to leave both Kenan Yildiz and Jonathan David out of the starting line-up in favour of Francisco Conceicao and Lois Openda. ............

 

A slightly sleepy Bianconeri side were caught out at the back on  a few occasions in the first period. Perin was successfully closed down by Balogun towards the end of the half, and Lloyd Kelly was also guilty of gifting Monaco possession deep into Juve territory.

 

Balogun had the ball in the back of the net within the first quarter of an hour, but his goal was ruled out after a fairly quick VAR check, which confirmed that he had shoved Pierre Kalulu to the floor on his way into the area. ............

 

Going in at the interval, and for much of the second half, a single goal would have sent Juventus into the top eight, and importantly, straight into the round of 16.

 

Despite that fact, Juventus’s first shot of the second half came through late substitute Edon Zhegrova in the 94th minute. They were also unable to register a shot on target at all across the 90 minutes.

 

Happy to settle for the draw, Juventus end their Champions League league phase campaign in 13th position, which means that they will be among the third seeds in Friday’s play-off draw.

Monaco 0-0 Juventus

 ............

 .

Read more -> https://football-italia.net/champions-league-monaco-0-0-juventus-play-offs/

[Socrates 9720]

Juventus fails to break down AS Monaco in Champions League draw

 

 

Juventus and AS Monaco played out a goalless draw in the Champions League this evening, a result that left both sides with mixed feelings. The match carried significant importance for Juventus, who knew victory was essential if they were serious about progressing, while Monaco were also chasing points to strengthen their hopes of reaching the playoffs. ............

 

Monaco appeared to make the perfect start when they found the back of the net early on, but celebrations were cut short after the goal was ruled out for a foul in the build up. That moment underlined the fine margins in a contest that quickly developed into a highly tactical affair. Both teams were organised and disciplined, with neither willing to take unnecessary risks. ............

 

Luciano Spalletti was tasked with finding solutions from the touchline, and there was an expectation that Juventus would grow into the contest. After the interval, he introduced attacking options, including Kenan Yildiz, in an effort to inject more urgency and creativity into their play. The changes caused Monaco some fresh problems and briefly shifted the balance of the game.

 

Despite this, the hosts remained composed and continued to look dangerous whenever they had possession, which limited Juventus’ ability to commit fully in search of a winner. The Bianconeri pushed hard in the closing stages but were unable to break down a resilient Monaco defence. ............

 .

Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/juventus-fails-to-break-down-as-monaco-in-champions-league-draw/

[Socrates 9720]

UCL play-offs: Potential Juventus, Inter and Atalanta opponents revealed

 

 

The Champions League league phase is now complete, and Juventus, Inter and Atalanta now know their two potential opponents for February’s knock-out play-offs.

 

Three Italian sides finished in the play-off positions, while Napoli were eliminated from the competition after a 3-2 defeat at home against Chelesa on Wednesday night. ............

 

Two points below Inter were Juventus, who drew 0-0 away against AS Monaco on Wednesday night. That result sealed a 13th-place finish for Luciano Spalletti’s side. ............

 

Juventus will be among the seeded teams in Friday’s draw. They finished 13th, which means that they and Atletico Madrid (14th) will be drawn against either Club Brugge (19th) or Galatasaray (20th). ............

 .

Read more -> https://football-italia.net/potential-juventus-inter-ucl-playoff-opponents/

[Socrates 9720]

Spalletti: ‘Juventus lacked quality, but we can have our say’

 

 

Luciano Spalletti admits Juventus ‘should’ve had more quality and were too slow’ in their 0-0 draw with AS Monaco, but trusts they can ‘have our say’ in the Champions League.

 

The Bianconeri knew they were secure in the play-off places and seemed relatively content to pick up a point at the Stade Louis II. ............

 

“There was some fatigue that started to build up, so I made changes to find some more sharpness and create a better tempo,” Spalletti said.

 

“We didn’t manage it, but we were up against a team that kept forcing us to sprint back 100 metres with pace and aggression, their counter-attacks really tire you out.

 

“Those who came in didn’t do badly, but when the quality level of the whole group dropped, so did that of the individual performances.” ............

 

“It was a rough game, they were aggressive, we misplaced too many passes, so there was a lack of quality. We went too slowly and it gives me something to talk about to the team. We did well defensively on their counter-attacks, but from the midfield up, we should’ve had more quality.” ............

 

Juve finish 13^th and will play either Club Brugge or Galatasaray in the play-offs, then go on to face either Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur in the Round of 16. Is he looking forward to potentially playing against ex-Napoli striker Victor Osimhen?

 

“We have to face everyone, we have the potential to have our say against anyone. We were playing some sharp and quick strikers too today, it’s something you have to deal with,” smiled Spalletti.

 .

Read more -> https://football-italia.net/spalletti-juventus-lacked-quality-have-our-say/

Modificato 10 ore fa da Socrates

[Socrates 9720]

Player ratings: Monaco 0-0 Juventus – Perin the best of the bunch

 

 

Vanderson and Mattia Perin were among the standout performers as Juventus settled for a 0-0 draw away against AS Monaco in the final match of the 2025-26 Champions League league phase on Wednesday evening.

 

The Bianconeri had already secured a spot in the Champions League play-offs, unlike their hosts, and Luciano Spalletti was well aware of the fact that he needed favours from several sides if Juventus were to end up in the top eight, even with a victory at the Stade Louis II. ............

Monaco 0-0 Juventus: Player ratings! 

Monaco: Koehn 6; Vanderson 7, Kekrer 6, Teze 6, C.Henrique 6.5; Zakaria 6, Camara 6; Akliouche 6, Coulibaly 5 (Bamba 6), Golovin 6 (Ouattara n/a); Balogun 6.

 

Best Monaco player: Vanderson 7 –  ............

 

Coach: Sebastian Pocognoli 6 –  ............

 

Juventus: Perin 6; Kalulu 6, Bremer 6, Kelly 5.5, Cabal 6 (Cambiaso 6); Koopmeiners 5 (Zhegrova 6), Thuram 6 (David n/a); Conceicao 5.5 (Yildiz 6), Miretti 5.5 (Adzic 6), McKennie 6; Openda 5.

 

Best Juventus player: Mattia Perin 6 – Slim pickings in what was a fairly lacklustre display from the Bianconeri, who failed to register a shot on target. Perin did his job well, though, and made sure that the Bianconeri avoided defeat and came away with a clean sheet. Decent saves on Vanderson and Balogun.

 

Coach: Luciano Spalletti 5 – From the off, even from the team selection, it looked as though Spalletti would be happy with a point. No Yildiz in the starting line-up, nor Cambiaso, Locatelli or David.

 

Juventus always knew that a top eight finish was out of their hands, even with a victory on the night. They also knew that a play-off position was secure, while Monaco still had it all to play for. In that sense, Spalletti and his team did well to see off the competition from the Monegasque outfit, but the Bianconeri were poor going forwards: Their only shot of the second half came in the 94th minute and they didn’t register a single attempt on target from start to finish.

 .

Read more -> https://football-italia.net/player-ratings-monaco-0-0-juventus/

[Socrates 9720]

Monaco 0 - Juventus 0: Initial reaction and random observations

 

 

For all of the concentration on the live table on the final day of the Champions League league phase, it’s not like Juventus contributed a whole heck of a lot to add to the potential madness that comes with all 36 teams playing at once.

 

There was plenty of craziness elsewhere across the Champions League spectrum. But in the Principality, though? Nope, not at all. Especially after Mattia Perin gave us all a massive scare all of a few seconds after the opening kickoff.

 

But, in all honesty, that proved to be the best scoring chance of the night for either Juventus or Monaco. In what proved to be a testy and nervy but ultimately scoreless encounter between two clubs who hadn’t played in a decade, the Bianconeri only managed a point in the league phase finale. As others moved around them all throughout the table, Juve’s fourth draw on the round meant that they moved up from 15th to 13th and nothing more than that.

 

So now, after a pretty uneventful final day of the league phase from Juventus’ point of view, we know who Luciano Spalletti’s squad will have as their two options to potentially face going into Friday’s play-off round draw: Galatasaray or Club Brugge. ............

 

But when it comes to what happened — or didn’t — against Monaco on Wednesday night, it’s pretty easy to see that this was one of the least effective games in the final third since Spalletti took over for Igor Tudor on the cusp of November. Was that by design? Was it because the squad is tired? Was it because Monaco ended up playing the better game even though their Champions League status was basically hanging on by a thread for much of the night?

 

It’s not like Spalletti’s second-half subs suggested that he wasn’t totally interested in just shutting up shop and letting the scoreless draw be the only resulted he cared about. There was a chance, although it felt somewhat brief, that Juventus could have jumped into the top eight if they had taken a 1-0 lead and held on for the win. ............

 

Juventus, after 90 minutes against a Monaco side that was playing with a makeshift defense due to a host of injuries, finished with exactly zero shots on goal. Even with those second-half subs, Juve didn’t even attempted a shot in the second half until Edon Zhegrova’s hopeful 93rd-minute effort went well over the crossbar.

 

It was not one you would say is something that Spalletti will look at and hope his team will replicate going forward. It was a quiet showing in attack if there ever was one, with Juve recording a paltry 0.17 xG on all of five shots total against Monaco. ............

 

So instead of closing the UCL league phase with a bang, Juventus pretty much did the opposite of that. They didn’t lose, but they certainly didn’t throw a host of bodies forward and create wave after wave of scoring chances against said short-handed Monaco defense. The result didn’t hurt Juventus per se, but it’s not like it helped them a bunch, either. They basically just moved up one four-team pod for Friday’s draw — which feels like one of the few positives to take out of this performance. ............

 

RANDOM THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS

• I wonder, no matter what Spalletti said during his pre-match press conference, this was more a choice of trying not to screw things up and majorly impact their current standing rather than doing something stupid when pushing for the win and having Monaco beat you that way. Juve needed a lot to go right to get into the top eight, and that proved pretty tough with what was happening in front of them. So, just try and prevent something stupid from happening and take the draw. No real harm done there, I guess. ............
• One shot in the second half. One! That’s not good.
• You know what’s also not good? I am going to drop a stat on your head that you might be stunned to hear. You ready for it? Here we go, my friends …
• In his last 30 games for Juventus, Teun Koopmeiners has zero goals and zero assists. Nada. Zilch. That’s it.
• Yes, I am glad that Manuel Locatelli got some much-needed rest. However, I feel like Locatelli could have certainly brought a little bit of calm and effectiveness to this game considering some of the sloppy passing we saw out of the midfield against Monaco. ............
• I sure would like Mattia Perin to never play an attempted pass like he did on his first pass attempt in this game ever again. That is very much Perin looking like me when it comes to the ball at his feet. ............
• Some of those passes Juve players attempted, completely failed at getting to a teammate and then saw it go right to a Monaco player … not great, man.
• As much as I’m starting to think that Jonathan David is getting better and working out his early-season funk, I am very much not thinking that same thing about Loïs Openda. It’s been a struggle, man. The guy is just not playing well much of the time. That big performance against Roma seems like it was so long ago when it was basically six weeks ago. Not how you want to be trending as a striker.
• Juventus didn’t record a single corner kick against Monaco.
• When Lloyd Kelly and Gleison Bremer are co-leaders in terms of key passes then that pretty much sums up how things were for your team in the final third, right?
• Another quiet night for Francisco Conceição. Not worried yet, but it’s not a great development.
• Spalletti delivered on his talk of rotating the squad. For the most part, they looked like a squad that was both tired and fielding some players who hadn’t played much lately. But it’s not like those players who hadn’t logged a lot of minutes in recent weeks played all that well. Maybe Perin outside of that absurd pass in the opening minute can be exempt from that? I think so. ............
• Edon, I want to like you so much, but we need to see more from you, my friend. Please. make it happen because you are somebody I want to see excel at this club so dang much.
• Monaco had four players with at least one shot on goal.
• Juventus, as a team, did not have a shot on goal.
• So maybe Bremer rests at the weekend? That sure would be a thing I would be in support of seeing happen.
• Prince Albert II was in the crowd in Monaco on Wednesday night. Guessing the fact that literal royalty was in the crowd would result in more than we saw. So much for that, my friends.

Read more -> https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/previews-reviews/35902/monaco-juventus-2026-champions-league-league-phase-matchday-8-final-score-result-initial-reaction-random-observations

[Socrates 9720]

“I expected something more” – Spalletti dissatisfied with Juventus displays in Monaco, explains rotation

 

 

Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti admits his team didn’t put on a convincing showing against Monaco on Wednesday.

 

The Bianconeri travelled to the French principality for the final matchday of the Champions League group stage. The club had already secured a spot in the play-offs, but they still needed a positive result to improve their standing and potentially reach the Top 8. ............

 

“It’s difficult when the team isn’t functioning for one individual to be able to set the tempo and provide the right intensity against strong opponents,” said the 66-year-old in his post-match press conference.

 

“We were up against a strong side, physically aggressive above all in terms of running power and physical impact. We weren’t sharp in our build-up in the final third, and when the tempo drops and there are too many technical mistakes, it becomes hard to score against players of that level and physical presence.”

 

“We knew what was at stake, but in practice, we weren’t able to inject that spark and determination needed to get the result. They were very compact and have the pace to attack; in fact, we did well defensively.” ............

 

“They force you to lose cohesion as a team, make you drop into a low block and push you into 60–70 metre sprints, which isn’t easy against opponents like this. We tried to make changes to add more thrust, but it didn’t work. In the end, we had four forwards on the pitc,h and we tried.

 

“I expected something more because we had the opportunity. It was achievable; it was that small hope and detail that could have allowed us to try to win the match. We didn’t manage it, especially from a physical standpoint, and they were better than us.”

 

“We learn that if we don’t read situations early enough… In modern football, it’s not about positions or occupying spaces, but about where the ball drops after a duel.

 

“Everything is faster now. Matches are won either by beating your man or by the choices you make in moments of confusion, duels and physical clashes. ............

 

 

“I’m effective if my players put into practice what I ask of them. Improvement depends on the quality of those who listen.

 

“Of course, you also need well-run training sessions, and the level of training is fundamental. To train well, you need a higher level than those who play less.

 

“In the dressing room, everyone was calm and aware they hadn’t performed well. That attitude gives you the chance to do better in the next match.” ............

 

 

“It was down to a bit of fatigue after matches that drain a lot of energy. I think I did well to make changes — in fact, I’d probably change even more players.

 

“What matters to me is how these lads work; everyone deserves more minutes for how they train and how they live the match from the bench.

 

“Many substitutes experience the game as if they were playing, contributing to the chance of scoring. That counts for a lot, and perhaps I’d rotate even more.”

 .

Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/luciano-spalletti-juventus-monaco-rotation/