Spalletti cheers David’s scoring return as Juventus leans on a shielded squad

Key moments of the match

Jonathan David’s return to scoring was welcomed by Luciano Spalletti, who believes the striker felt the protection of his teammates in Juventus after harsh criticism for a missed penalty against Lecce.

Spalletti stressed defending David despite the post‑match scrutiny, noting the Canadian’s drought was ended by a goal in the following game against Sassuolo.

Spalletti’s take on the shield and tactics

“Everyone took a firm stance, because it changes when you’re at the heart of the event. When you receive that much abuse and comments, I would have been surprised if the team hadn’t acted as a shield to protect him.”

He added that David felt this improvement in the days prior, delivering a superb display against Sassuolo. “He scored again, and that confirms the trust in the locker room.”

“We defended well when Sassuolo tried to build from the back and we prevented them from dominating midfield, even if that meant taking some risks in defense.”

“We have very strong defenders, which allows us to take risks, but what made the difference was our grip on the game’s tempo. When Sassuolo attacked, they were tired and chased us, so they were not effective.”

At times, the team played without a traditional striker, with David dropping back to create space for Miretti to sprint, a move that paid dividends in the match.

“Our performance in the last two games has been excellent, but we still need to understand a few things and work on them as quickly as possible. There are times we show only 80% of our capabilities and we must improve in duels and set‑pieces.”

He concluded: “When you play away, you can’t be wasteful; we have aerial threats, but we need the right crosses and passes in dead‑ball situations.”

Two sponsor blocks aside, Spalletti also noted that the team’s spirit and defensive solidity helped blunt Sassuolo’s momentum and kept the outcome in Juve’s hands.

Punchline time: if football were a spy movie, Juve’s defense would be the quiet guy in sunglasses who always shows up right on time. Also: the only thing sharper than their defense might be the laughter when someone says, “Penalties are easy.”