Champions League, Thiago Motta: "Happy with the result but we have to raise the level"

Turin, 17 September 2024 – Wins and convinces Juventus, who in their Champions League debut overwhelm PSV Eindhoven 3-1 at home. It took the Bianconeri just 20 minutes to break the initial balance with a splendid shot from Yldiz, the absolute protagonist of the match with plays of fine workmanship, on a par with Nico Gonzalez who in the 27th minute resisted the charge of an opponent and served the ball for McKennie's 2-0. The Argentine then put the icing on the cake of his evening scoring the 52-3 in the 0nd minute with an assist from Vlahovic. A hat trick that effectively closed well in advance a match dominated with personality and intensity by the two-teamers, who only in the final seconds eased the tension a little, allowing Saibari to make the defeat less bitter. 

At the end of the race Mister Thiago Motta, speaking to Sky Sport, appeared satisfied with what the team did and reserved praise for McKennie: “I like Weston as much as I like everyone else. Today it was his turn to start the match and he did well like his teammates. It's a good result to start the competition and to think and prepare for the next matches. He's part of a group of strong players that we have and he can give us a lot. It's my duty to field the eleven who are best to play a good match. I'm happy for him, he deserves it, he's working and he has to improve. The important thing is that today the team started the cup with a victory. Now we have to improve in many things”. Words of esteem and encouragement also for Dusan Vlahovic, author of a good performance but still without a goal: “I don't see his management as difficult. Dusan, since we started working together, has always shown up in ideal conditions to train and play, helping in the defensive and offensive phases. Today he didn't score and like the whole team he could have done better. He's a striker and like all strikers he always wants to score and it's right that it's like that. I'm happy with his work, he must know how to manage his emotional side, because it can happen to a striker not to score in some games, but he must think that there are also many other things to do on the pitch. Then the goals will certainly come too. We must know how to exploit his ability to create spaces for players like Weston or Teun. The important thing is that he continues to participate in the work of the group as he is doing, giving his all. I'm sure that he will also be happy because the goals will come”. On the aspects to improve: “Today for long stretches of the match we suffered PSV’s game. We are sure we can do better in possession. At this level, to compete against teams that want to keep the ball to get the result and not for aesthetics, we have to raise the level in these aspects. We did well in stretches and we will have to be good at keeping the level high throughout the match. I am happy because it is a good result for us, now we have to recover and think about the next match and give continuity to the good things we have done”.