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LUCIANO SPALLETTI BEGINS NEW ERA IN STYLE WITH VICTORY AT CREMONESE

Luciano Spalletti reveals his tactical shocks for Juventus in a 2-1 win over Cremonese, including using Teun Koopmeiners in central defence. The new coach also warns about the pressure of playing for Juventus.

Luciano Spalletti Begins New Era In Style With Victory At Cremonese
Coach Luciano Spalletti of Juventus FC reacts during the Serie A match between US Cremonese and Juventus FC - (Photo by Marco M. Mantovani/Getty Images)

"The strain might weigh on some players," Luciano Spalletti cautions, revealing what he anticipated from Juventus' tactical shocks versus Cremonese.

After just one training session with his new team on Thursday, the former coach of Napoli and Italy did not hold back when it came to tactical innovation.

Overall, he maintained the 3-5-2 shape, but Teun Koopmeiners, a very deep-lying playmaker, was in central defence.

After a late strike from Jamie Vardy for Cremonese, the wide men held firm as Andrea Cambiaso added the second goal after the interval, and Filip Kostic opened the score after 85 seconds.

Spalletti outlines the tactical shocks of Juventus.


"Everyone could see where he was playing after two minutes," Spalletti said of Koopmeiners to Sky Sport Italia.

We hardly ever succeeded in moving it from right to left, and vice versa, so I thought he would be in a position where he could do more damage. In order to give us an extra man in midfield, Thuram was supposed to push forward a little, and Koopmeiners was supposed to move into that area. This is due to the fact that Vardy is Cremonese's only true danger man.

Because Koopmeiners was more of a defender than anybody else when it came to maintaining organisation and calling the line on the counterattack, I observed a strong performance in terms of communication and focus. It was required because, as demonstrated by Vardy's goal, Cremonese are extremely dangerous when they have the ball over the top for the champion.

Juventus needs to break certain "poor habits" of sitting too deep when leading, according to Dusan Vlahovic's post-match remarks.

Spalletti concurred, saying, "There are definitely places where we need to improve. We already started to let them in near halftime, then after the break."

"There are a lot of things that need to be improved, and fast. Some of these guys have talent, and I have faith in them, but they are also under pressure from Juventus. When I spoke with the club owners yesterday, they inquired about my needs.

From the exterior, Juventus' availability of everything appears to be fantastic, but what is even more amazing is the interior, where nothing is visible. Some players need time because it puts pressure on them, makes them realise their level, and might weigh them down.

When Vlahovic and Lois Openda failed to capitalise on a promising attack, the coach reacted with wide eyes, displaying some of the traditional Spalletti theatrics still present on the touchline.

For disobedience and straying from his technical area, he was additionally booked for stoppages.

How did it feel to be benched again, particularly at the club level, following his disastrous stint as Italy's CT?

"I have always done it. We want to make people who love the team and this sport happy, hence we need this touch with the squad. It did not really work with the Nazionale, but I hope it works this time. You need to build a relationship with the players, which is how I have always worked," he said.

"The team as a whole can develop through those relationships, friendships, and understandings."

When Juventus plays Sporting CP in the Champions League on Tuesday, they hope to have Lloyd Kelly and Kenan Yildiz back in the lineup. Next weekend, they play Torino in the Derby della Mole.

TIRED OR TOUGH? THE CONFLICTING ITALIAN MEDIA REPORTS ON SCOTT MCTOMINAY’S PERFORMANCE

Scott McTominay and Napoli suffer Champions League elimination after a 3-2 home defeat to Chelsea's clinical Joao Pedro.

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Napoli and McTominay crashed out against Chelsea

Scott McTominay had a rough night as Napoli crashed out of the Champions League on Wednesday. The reigning Serie A champs missed out on a play-off spot after losing at home to Chelsea.

It was a wild night in the Champions League, and Napoli ended up as one of the biggest letdowns. Even with home advantage against Liam Rosenior's team, they only managed to finish 30th overall. Chelsea, on the other hand, walked away with sixth.

McTominay, along with Manchester United loanee Rasmus Hojlund, couldn’t stop Napoli from falling 3-2 in Naples. Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez opened the scoring, but Napoli hit back before halftime thanks to Antonio Vergara and Hojlund.

But after the break, Joao Pedro bagged a brace and sealed Napoli’s fate. The Italian press didn’t hold back in their reviews of McTominay’s performance.

Il Napolista gave McTominay a 6 out of 10. They liked his grit but pointed out he lost possession a few too many times in midfield. Still, they said he was a threat going forward—enough to give Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez something to worry about. But in the end, it just wasn’t enough for Conte’s side.

Il Messaggero also gave him a 6. They called his first half “average”, even though the game was played at a high level. After halftime, they thought he looked tired and didn’t live up to his usual standards.

Corriere dello Sport was a bit more generous with a 6.5. They praised his fighting spirit—classic Premier League style—and said he gave it everything he had. But as Serie A’s current MVP, expectations are high, and he just couldn’t find the goals Napoli needed.

Essere Partnopei matched that 6.5 rating. They praised his energy and said he was as active as ever, moving the ball well. Still, his efforts couldn’t keep Napoli from being knocked out.

Napoli Magazine skipped the ratings but said McTominay wasn’t at his best. He’s a key player for Conte and stayed committed, but it wasn’t enough to push Napoli into the next round.

"DON'T JUMP SHIP!" — ANTONIO CONTE’S EXPLOSIVE WARNING TO NAPOLI STARS AFTER JUVENTUS ROUT

Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund fail to fire as Juventus crush Napoli 3-0. Discover Conte’s defiant post-match reaction.

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Napoli slip to fourth as title rivals capitalise on defeat

Napoli just fell nine points behind in the Serie A title chase after Scott McTominay and the rest of the squad took a heavy 3-0 loss against Juventus.

The defending champs barely put up a fight at the Allianz Stadium in Turin. Juventus looked sharp, closing the gap with Napoli to just a single point. Right now, Gli Azzurri sit fourth with 43 points, Juventus are right behind on 42, and Inter still lead the pack with 52. If Antonio Conte’s side wants to catch up, they’ve got a lot of work to do.

McTominay played the whole match for Napoli but couldn’t change the game. Frustration was obvious for the visitors. Rasmus Hojlund, on loan from Manchester United, struggled again and didn’t make much of a difference up front. While his parent club edged out Arsenal 3-2 in London, Hojlund missed two decent chances in Turin. He hasn’t scored for Napoli since late December.

Romelu Lukaku finally got back on the pitch after his injury, but with just 12 minutes left, the result was already settled. Juventus were two goals up—Jonathan David bagged the first, Kenan Yildiz added another, and Filip Kostic finished things off near the end with a third.

Napoli are still missing another Scot, Billy Gilmour, and creative midfielder Kevin De Bruyne is out hurt as well. Next up, Chelsea comes to Naples on Wednesday night. Napoli really needs a win to stay in the hunt for a Champions League play-off spot.

Conte faced up to the defeat but made it clear Napoli aren’t about to give up on the Scudetto—even with all these injuries.

Conte didn’t sugarcoat things:

“As long as it was 1-0, it felt close—like we might grab a draw,” he said. “But after their second goal, things opened up, and then they scored a third. Credit to them, but also to my guys. There’s not much to say or criticise. Even here in Turin, they gave everything.

“Sometimes you get past these obstacles, sometimes you don’t. For the first time in my career, I had to bring on a player [Giovane]. I’d never even seen him in training—a kid who just joined us Saturday. That tells you something about what we’re dealing with right now.

“But we’re not quitting. We know the situation, and we’ll keep pushing. It feels like we’re out at sea in a storm, but we’re not bailing. If someone wants to jump ship, fine—they can swim to shore. The rest of us are staying on board, ready to fight with everything we’ve got, whatever comes our way.”

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