Spalletti praises Juventus response but warns they lost their courage against Lecce

Luciano Spalletti was pleased with Juventus’ 2-0 win at Lecce but criticised his side’s second-half performance, saying they lost some of the courage needed to manage the game properly.

Weston McKennie and Douglas Luiz scored in the first half to give Juventus victory away from home and end a run of two matches without a win. They had been beaten 3-0 by Lazio in their previous Serie A fixture.

“We played a very good match in terms of the tempo and the way we played openly,” Spalletti told Sky Sport.

“We dropped off a little in the way we managed the game in the second half, and things became more difficult because we lost some of our courage.

“We needed to continue doing the same things we had done in the first half.”

The result came after Spalletti and his coaching staff made tactical adjustments following the defeat by Lazio. The manager said they had discussed with the players what Juventus needed most during the current period.

“We talked about what we needed more than anything else,” he said.

“We made a tactical change by using three players in midfield because, at times like these, you need more solidity and clarity. It was the most logical decision.”

Spalletti added that players also had to be used in positions where they were most effective, even if that meant leaving out some wide players who had previously performed well for the club.

“You also have to put players in the positions where they know how to play,” he said. “That means leaving out some players on the wings, even though they have given us good performances in the past.”

The Juventus manager said the new approach had immediately improved the team’s defensive stability, although he remained unhappy with the way the players responded after the interval.

“We found a way of playing that gives us solidity, and we are happy about that because we noticed an immediate improvement in the team’s performance,” Spalletti said. “But we dropped off in the second half.

“The goalkeeper was passing the ball far more often in the second half. We were two goals ahead, but that was no justification for losing our balance.”

Spalletti concluded: “We did not concede a goal, but we did not take enough initiative to settle the match and finish it.”

The victory in the eighth round of Serie A lifted Juventus to 14 points and seventh place in the table. Lecce remain on nine points in 12th.

Juventus had failed to win their previous two matches, losing 3-0 to Lazio in Serie A before drawing 2-2 with Rennes in the Europa League.

The win is expected to ease the pressure around the club after supporters attacked the players with jeers, insults and whistles, and burned a club scarf.