JUVENTUS SEASON 2024-2025

[Socrates 8516]

Juventus Player Ratings vs PSV: Woeful Bianconeri Round Off Serie A Misery

 

 

After Milan and Atalanta on Tuesday, Wednesday night piled more misery on Italian football as Juventus were also eliminated from the Champions League play-off round despite entering the second leg with a one-goal advantage. ............

Juventus (4-2-3-1)

Michele Di Gregorio – 7

Despite conceding three goals, he was head and shoulders above the rest of his teammates. This could have been a routing if it wasn’t for his saves.

Timothy Weah – 6

The American certainly took his shot well to score an equalizer from long-range, but his mediocre defending skills were constantly exposed by Noa Lang.

Federico Gatti – 6

The Italian defender was superb in the early going, but was slow to react on the second goal and then messed up on the third. But at least he fought hard for the cause.

Renato Veiga – N/A

The Chelsea loanee left the pitch early with a knock.

Lloyd Kelly – 5

The Englishman was switched from left-back to the heart of the defence following Veiga’s injury. Should have done better on the second ball, and almost caused more problems with his poor passing.

Manuel Locatelli – 6

 ............

Teun Koopmeiners – 5

Another anonymous display from the big summer signing who was hardly influential on either phase of the match.

Francisco Conceicao – 6

The diminutive winger seemed to be the biggest attacking threat Juventus had to offer, but Thiago Motta decided to haul him off in the middle of the second half, much to PSV’s relief.

Weston McKennie – 5.5

 

 ............

Nicolas Gonzalez – 5.5

 ............

Randal Kolo Muani – 5

The Frenchman had a few inviting chances to score that went begging. Juventus will certainly rue his misses.

Substitutes

Andrea Cambiaso – 5.5

 ............

Kenan Yildiz – 5.5

The teenager tried to play the savior’s role but saw very little of the ball.

Khephren Thuram – 6

The Frenchman was one of the few Juventus players who caused problems for PSV in the final third, but he couldn’t put his shot on target after storming into the box.

Nicolo Savona – 5.5

 ............

Dusan Vlahovic – 5.5

The Serbian had little to no service but came close to scoring on one occasion.

Samuel Mbangula – 5

 ............

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Read more -> https://cultofcalcio.com/juventus-player-ratings-vs-psv-woeful-bianconeri-round-off-serie-a-misery/

[Socrates 8516]

Thiago Motta: ‘Juventus changes forced, but I made decisions at right time’

 

 

Thiago Motta reveals he made three ‘forced’ substitutions when Juventus crashed out of the Champions League to PSV Eindhoven, but defends his tactical decisions. ............

 

Tim Weah cancelled out the Ivan Perisic opener in Eindhoven, but Ismael Saibari forced extra time, where Ryan Flamingo prodded home from point-blank range on a set play situation for 3-1 on the night, 4-3 on aggregate.

 

“We struggled in the second half, had equalised in such an important moment for us and we were not capable of holding on to it,” Thiago Motta said.

 

“It was under control in the first half, it’s true that they pushed harder, while we hit the woodwork. We knew PSV were a quality side who push and attack, but we suffered a lot here.

 

“We cannot be happy with the two goals we conceded, especially with predictable changes of play and Bakayoko allowed to control the ball in our area. We must do much better if we want to compete at this level. ............

 

“Koop had a fever yesterday and this morning, so he asked to come off. We moved Andrea into midfield with Khephren, but then Cambiaso too had to come off because he’d been out for a while and was not feeling good. All three substitutions were forced.”

 

As Juventus were looking visibly off the pace in the second half, why did Thiago Motta not make changes earlier?

 

“I don’t believe I was late in my changes. Before the opening goal, I wanted to give a bit more energy to the squad, but then we equalised and that was a moment we had to calm things down and retain the balance. I believe I made my changes at the right time.”

 

Juventus had never previously been eliminated in the Champions League after winning the first leg, going through in the previous 11 occasions.

 

Meanwhile, PSV Eindhoven had not won a Champions League knockout tie since 2006-07 against Arsenal.

 

Locatelli told Amazon Prime Video Italia that Juventus “threw the qualification away,” but Thiago Motta did not agree with his own captain. ............

 

“We did not throw anything away. We tried to the end, but we ultimately weren’t stronger over the whole match, so PSV deserved to go through.”

 

All three Italian teams in the play-offs were eliminated, arguably by weaker opposition on paper, as Milan lost to Feyenoord, Atalanta to Club Brugge and Juventus to PSV Eindhoven. ............

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Read more -> https://football-italia.net/thiago-motta-juventus-changes-forced-decisions/

[Socrates 8516]

Juventus 1 (3) - PSV Eindhoven 3 (4): Initial reaction and random observations

 

 

On Wednesday night, Juventus got what they deserved.

 

Despite a 2-1 advantage on aggregate. Despite another long-distance belter from one of their Americans to put them ahead on aggregate. Despite actually heading to the Netherlands with their first notable winning streak of the season. Despite all of that, Juve got what they deserved at the Philips Stadion.

 

And that was to get bounced from the Champions League.

 

Juventus’ performance against PSV Eindhoven was very much a continuation of how the first leg in Turin went eight days ago. But the difference this time is that there was no late heroics to find some sort of escape. Instead, PSV — who entered the decisive second leg with just one win in their last five — was able to flip the aggregate scoreline in their favor and oust Juventus from the Champions League with a 3-1 on the night and 4-3 over the two legs. The one thing that Juve couldn’t afford to do — you know, actually lose Wednesday night — was what ended up playing out and now it’s another hit to a season in which qualifying for the UCL Round of 16 was one of the biggest goals the club had.

 

Instead, they’re out one step short of that. ............

 

PSV were better on this night. There is no question about that. They dominated much of the second half and extra time before setting up shop and daring Juventus to try and score on them. As much as Juve had their chances in extra time — and they did whether it was Dusan Vlahovic (nice to see you again!) or Khephren Thuram — the only reason why the scoreline wasn’t more in PSV’s favor was thanks to a couple of brilliant saves from Michele Di Gregorio. But, by then, PSV was fully in control and Juve were essentially just hanging on for dear life.

 

But then the ball pinged off Federico Gatti’s foot as he attempted to apparently control the ball right in front of Di Gregorio when he should have instead tried to simply just clear it if at all possible. The result? PSV taking the lead once and for all — something that was about as deserved as anything to happen on this night.

 

Juventus’ defense faltered either thanks to individual errors or just being torn apart by PSV on the counter. The squad’s overall inexperience showed. Their manager’s inexperience on the sideline in these types of situations showed. Thiago Motta way too long to make the triple sub that brought on a whole new double pivot even though one of those “midfielders” was actually Andrea Cambiaso, who came on just 10 minutes in after Renato Veiga was forced off injured. ............

 

This Champions League campaign began with quite the high-energy return to Europe with a win over this same PSV side. Five months later, it all came to an end in Eindhoven — a result, a performance and overall UCL showing that will leave a whole lot to be desired no matter how you look at it as time goes on.

RANDOM THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS

 ............

• Juventus didn’t even need to win. Seeing the 1,500th draw of the 2024-25 season would have been just fine no matter how they got there. But nope, that wasn’t possible.
• Prayer circle for Renato Veiga and whatever kind of muscle injury that forced him off after 10 minutes. Who knows if it’s a calf strain or something else, but I’m guessing just how pissed off he looked as he walked down into the tunnel was how a lot of us felt watching from afar. Just another injury to add to the lengthy list of injuries at the back. ............
• Motta said that Teun Koopmeiners was playing with a fever — which makes sense considering that the Dutchman’s return to his home country was rather tame.
• I would also like it if Koopmeiners also got some sort of break health-wise to go his way because this feels like the third or fourth time that he’s dealt with some sort of illness ever since he signed with Juventus. ............

• Still not convinced by Lloyd Kelly. He did some good things once he kicked into the center of Juve’s defense for Veiga, but there’s still a whole lot to be desired for a player who is probably going to be playing a lot the next couple of weeks. (And subsequently seeing that obligation to buy kick in for much more than he’s probably worth.)
• That being said, Gatti and Kelly combined for 25 clearances. That’s a lot. ............
• Randal Kolo Muani only had eight touches in the first half, yet within those touches were a couple of very good scoring chances. Funny how this game goes sometimes, ain’t it?
• Who led Juventus with four tackles in the first half? Of course it was Francisco Conceição, known defensive workhorse out on the wings. ............
• I still don’t know why Motta waited so long to make his change in midfield. Even with Timothy Weah scoring when he did, it’s not like Juve were playing well before that. Just make the change right then and there after the goal. Try and lock things up and not even risk PSV ramping things back up against a tiring defense and midfield.
• Instead, that big swing came right after PSV tied things up on aggregate. Frustrating.
• I really don’t know how Nicolo Savona didn’t see red for that tackle attempt. It was bad. ............
• PSV xG in the second half: 1.55.
• Juventus xG in the entire game: 1.67. ............

Read more -> https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2025/2/20/24368805/juventus-psv-eindhoven-2025-champions-league-final-score-result-initial-reaction-random-observations

[Socrates 8516]

Five avoidable mistakes Thiago Motta committed against PSV

 

 

While fans and pundits might disagree on the amount of responsibility that falls on the manager’s shoulders, at least most would agree Thiago Motta could have done better when it comes to managing the second leg against PSV Eindhoven. ............

 

Journalist Fabio Russo identifies five tactical blunders Motta commited during the contest.

 

First of all, the source notes how PSV are excellent at going forward, but can be shaky at the back. Therefore, Juventus would have probably found success had they been more adventurous, but instead decided to sit back and invite their opponents into their own area. ............

 

Russo also wondered why Motta didn’t start with Yildiz who should have been fresh after only featuring for a cameo against Inter on Sunday. He also decided to drop Khephren Thuram in favour of Teun Koopmeiners who had a fever by his own admission. ............

 

On another note, the journalist blames the Juventus technical staff for the players’ athletic condition, as they failed to keep up with PSV’s pace in the second half. Moreover, Russo suggests Veiga’s playing time could have been managed better, as his constant appearances may have played a role in his injury.

 

Finally, the columnist notes the Bianconeri remain psychologically feeble as they once again squandered the lead, so he believes Motta has so far failed to insert mental toughness within the team.

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Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/five-avoidable-mistakes-thiago-motta-committed-against-psv/

[Socrates 8516]

Di Canio hits out at ‘confused’ Thiago Motta: “PSV gave Juventus a lesson”

 

 

Former Juventus, West Ham and Lazio striker Paolo Di Canio criticised Thiago Motta for his reluctant approach against PSV Eindhoven. ............

 

After the contest, Motta admitted PSV was the better side on the night, but disagreed with Manuel Locatelli who suggested their opponents wanted it more.

 

For his part, Di Canio wasn’t impressed with the 42-year-old’s game management. The Juventus coach was preparing a couple of substitutions (Mbangula and Thuram) but changed his mind when Timothy Weah gave the Old Lady the lead on aggregate. But afterwards, PSV managed to score once more. ............

 

“PSV gave Juventus a football lesson. The Dutch dominated and deserved to advance to the next round,” said Di Canio during his post-match appearance.

 

“Thiago Motta was confused. He was making some substitutions and then changed his mind after scoring a goal that made it 1-1. Tonight, PSV could have scored five or six goals against Juventus.” ............

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Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/di-canio-hits-out-at-confused-thiago-motta-psv-gave-juventus-a-lesson/

[Socrates 8516]

Del Piero reveals two factors that caused ‘huge gap’ between Juventus & PSV

 

 

Juventus icon Alessandro Del Piero saw a comprehensive difference between his beloved club and PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday night. ............

 

Del Piero did indeed notice a sizable gap in terms of desire as well as intensity. He believes the Bianconeri only decided to go for the goal when it was already too late.

 

“There is a huge gap and it was clearly visible tonight,” said the legendary Juventus Number 10 in his post-match appearance.

 

“The difference lies in the desire and intensity with which the two teams looked for the goal. PSV created many dangerous chances, while Juventus only came out in the second half of extra time, when the Dutch decided to defend themselves.” ............

 

“Among the three teams that exited the Champions League, Milan is the one with the most extenuating circumstances.” ............

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Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/del-piero-reveals-two-factors-that-caused-huge-gap-between-juventus-psv/

[Socrates 8516]

Capello identifies ‘main’ Juventus problem in loss against PSV

 

 

Former Juventus coach noted that the Bianconeri’s ‘main’ issue against PSV was in midfield, although Thiago Motta’s men struggled to keep up with the ‘opponents’ intensity.’ ............

 

“We have seen proof that our Serie A struggles with the high pace of European football,” Capello said. ............

 

“Above all, the difficulty in keeping up with the opponents’ intensity was evident,” continued Capello.

 

“PSV practically never passed the ball back to the goalkeeper, never played backwards, but always moved forward, even when they were winning. Our teams are not used to this kind of pressure.

 

“I liked the Bianconeri in the first 45 minutes; they pressed a lot, keeping PSV far from Di Gregorio’s goal. But fatigue started to show at the beginning of the second half,” continued the ex-Bianconeri boss.

 

“Juve had spent a lot of energy, and just ten minutes after the break, they already seemed to be running on empty. Perhaps Thiago Motta could have acted sooner with the substitutions. He spent almost 10 minutes discussing with his assistant before making changes.” ............

 

“Juve’s main issues were in midfield when the team was no longer able to press, allowing the Dutch side more space,” he noted.

 

“That’s why Motta should have made changes earlier, perhaps bringing in Thuram to freshen up the midfield.” ............

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Read more -> https://football-italia.net/capellomain-juventus-problem-loss-against-psv/

 

Modificato 21 ore fa da Socrates

[Socrates 8516]

Is Douglas Luiz fit enough to play for Juventus against Cagliari?

 

 

Douglas Luiz has been sidelined for Juventus’ last two games due to injury, and the Brazilian midfielder is working hard to recover and return to action as soon as possible. Despite Juventus having a squad full of talented players who are fit and ready to play, Luiz’s absence has been felt. He had just begun to settle into the team and show his quality before injury struck, and his potential remains a key asset for the club. ............

 

While Juventus has been content with the overall performance of the team, their recent exit from the Champions League at the hands of PSV has left a sense of urgency around their next match against Cagliari. The fans are eager for a return to winning ways, but it seems unlikely that Juventus will rush Luiz back into the starting XI for this crucial game, given the uncertainty surrounding his fitness. ............

 

Luiz’s fitness remains a concern, with the midfielder training away from the rest of the squad in the latest session. This suggests that his recovery is still in progress, and it may take some time before he is ready to play again. Juventus must be careful not to rush Luiz back too quickly, as pushing him into action before he is fully healed could risk aggravating his injury and leading to a longer spell on the sidelines. ............

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Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/is-douglas-luiz-fit-enough-to-play-for-juventus-against-cagliari/

[Socrates 8516]

Opinion – Juventus problems could be more psychological than physical

 

 

Juventus lost their four-game winning streak after PSV beat them 3-1 in the Champions League playoff. The Bianconeri seemed to have finally hit some top form, with four consecutive wins making the fans dream of a team that can win some trophies this term.

 

However, the men in black and white have since disappointed, bringing back the bad and worrying feeling to the club.

 

They are rebuilding, and at the rebuilding stage of any team, mistakes would be made, and the learning curve could be steep. ............

 

Juve has the players to play any game plan, and there is no need for their stars to have an inferiority complex of any kind.

 

This is because they play for the biggest Italian football club, and most earn far more than their peers at other clubs.

 

Because the team’s average age is as low as 25, the Bianconeri do not have a problem with physical strength. ............

 

However, where Juve needs to grow is the psychological aspect of their game, as they have simply not been good enough.

 

Players need their minds as much as their bodies to play and win games, and the current Juve squad struggles with its identity.

 

At the moment, they simply do not have the mindset of a team that can beat anyone, which is a surprise because they ought to have that. ............

 

Motta’s team looks ordinary in most of their matches, and many of their victories have lacked the conviction to show that they have what it takes to win some trophies for the club.

 

These players have to improve their mindsets and awaken to the fact that they are in one of the biggest football clubs in the world.

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Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/opinion-juventus-problems-could-be-more-psychological-than-physical/

 

Modificato 1 ora fa da Socrates

[Socrates 8516]

Thiago Motta ‘self-critical’ but Juventus ‘on the right path’

 

 

Juventus coach Thiago Motta insists he’s ‘self-critical’, but the Bianconeri are ‘on the right path’ despite Champions League elimination against PSV.

 

Juventus return to the pitch on Sunday in an away game against strugglers Cagliari. ............

 

“After such a disappointment, the best thing to do is to get back on the pitch,” Motta said at a pre-match press conference on Saturday.

 

“We have a very tough match ahead; we know our opponent, the difficulty of the environment, and that we must put in a great performance.” ............

 

“The communication remains the same. I’m self-critical every day. Every decision is made to get the best possible result at the moment,” insisted the coach. ............

 

 

Motta was asked whether he had thought about his decisions in the game against PSV.

 

“I always do it. I don’t need a defeat to reflect on things,” he said.

 

“Every decision is made to get the best result at the moment. I respect different opinions, but I move forward in a straight line. I believe we are on the right path.” ............

 

 

“The players understand everything, and we give the maximum effort.

 

“The players are smart and capable; they know what we want. Sometimes, even without a huge difference, the opponent was superior. We talk with the players daily, and our next goal is to prepare well in today’s training session for tomorrow’s match.”

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Read more -> https://football-italia.net/thiago-motta-self-critica-juventus-right-path/

[Socrates 8516]

[Socrates 8516]

Juventus youngster set to miss the Cagliari game

 

 

Nicolo Savona is set to miss Juventus’ Serie A clash against Cagliari this weekend after failing to make the squad due to injury. This comes as an unwelcome setback for the Bianconeri, who must secure a victory after being eliminated from the Champions League by PSV in midweek. ............

 

The team has benefited from the return of some important players in recent weeks, but fresh concerns have now emerged. Savona will not be available for selection after suffering a muscle problem in his thigh. This is a significant blow, as the defender has proven himself to be a reliable option in recent matches, even when deployed at left-back, a position that is not his natural role.

 

His absence means Juventus will have to make adjustments in defence, but they possess the squad depth necessary to cope with such setbacks. Despite the loss of Savona, the expectation remains that they will deliver a professional performance and take all three points from this fixture. ............

For Juventus, this match is not just about maintaining their strong position in the league but also about responding positively to their Champions League disappointment. Failing to win would only add to the frustrations of their recent European exit, making this fixture all the more important. ............

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Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/report-juventus-youngster-set-to-miss-the-cagliari-game/