Juventus Manager Seeks Excuses After Napoli Defeat | OneFootball

Juventus suffered their first Serie A loss under Thiago Motta as Napoli came from behind to claim a potentially season-defining 2-1 win. Motta addressed the media after the match, seeking excuses for his side’s slump at Stadio Diego Maradona.

Randal Kolo Muani enjoyed a dream debut for Juventus, scoring late in the first half to fire the visitors in front. However, Napoli fought back through Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa before Romelu Lukaku’s penalty turned the game on its head.

Juventus delivered another unconvincing performance following a disheartening 0-0 draw at Club Brugge in midweek Champions League action. This time, however, they risk losing further ground on fourth-placed Lazio.

Losing is never pleasant, but Motta insists fatigue made the difference last night.

“I am disappointed with the defeat,” the Juventus boss told DAZN via TMW. “We had a good first half, causing our opponents a lot of problems, a side that is not top of the table as a fluke because they have a great coach and had the opportunity to prepare all week for this.

“However, we did not have that luxury, and it showed because all the good work we did in the first half, we struggled to replicate in the second, and that is why we were unable to win.“

There’s no time for Juventus to dwell on Saturday’s defeat as they must prepare for Wednesday’s home encounter against Brenfica. They’ve already sealed a playoff berth but still have an outside chance of securing a top-eight finish.