Juventus will be eager to take heed from a tense finish to their 2-1 home victory over struggling Lecce in Serie A on Saturday, with coach Igor Tudor (46) noting that the hosts allowed a late goal which almost jeopardised their early lead.
Teun Koopmeiners opened the scoring just two minutes in, followed by Kenan Yildiz doubling their advantage just after the half-hour mark, showcasing dominance during the first half.
However, Lecce’s Federico Baschirotto managed to reduce the deficit late in the match with a powerful header, as Juventus appeared to relax their efforts following the break.
“We put in a solid performance, but after a misplaced pass from (midfielder Khephren) Thuram, we started to feel the pressure,” Tudor expressed during the post-match press conference.
“There is a sense of regret because we didn’t finish the game strongly. We need to take this as a learning opportunity.”
Juventus controlled the play for the majority of the first half, generating nearly 20 scoring chances, while Lecce managed just three.
The second half, in contrast, was rather uneventful until Lecce regained possession near the hosts’ penalty area, where forward Ante Rebic’s attempt was expertly saved by Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio.
Nonetheless, Lecce persisted and Baschirotto found the net with a header off a free kick in the 87th minute.
“I wasn’t pleased with the substitutions today,” Tudor commented.
“Football has changed significantly with the allowance of five substitutions, and I felt the way they were introduced was not ideal. Players need to adapt quickly, and while there may be excuses, in the end, the team’s performance is what truly matters.”
Tudor made a triple substitution in the 67th minute, bringing on strikers Timothy Weah and Randal Kolo Muani, along with defender Andrea Cambiaso, with Francisco Conceicao and Nicolo Savona entering the fray later.
With this result, Juventus temporarily climbed to third place in the standings with 59 points, just ahead of fourth-placed Atalanta, who are one point behind and set to face Bologna on Sunday.
Juventus’s next match is against 16th-placed Parma on April 21st.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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