Spalletti: 3-5-2 formation gave Juventus more solidity but limits attacking wings

Luciano Spalletti, the manager of Juventus, expressed his satisfaction with his team's 2-0 victory over Lecce, noting that the adoption of the 3-5-2 formation provided the team with greater balance and solidity. However, he acknowledged that it limited the involvement of the attacking wings, which had performed well earlier.

Luciano Spalletti stated that his players delivered a good first half in terms of rhythm and boldness in play, but he pointed out that handling the flow of the match becomes more difficult when trying to manage a lead. He added that Douglas Luiz had an important match and contributed well to dealing with many situations on the pitch.

The Italian coach explained that tactical changes came after discussions among players following the defeat to Lazio, where the team agreed on the need to strengthen defensive solidity by playing with three midfielders in a 3-5-2 formation. However, he emphasized that this approach requires some compromises, as it excludes the attacking wingers who had excelled in previous periods, and playing with two main strikers, in the absence of Nico, reduces the attacking options available from the bench.

Spalletti added that the team is happy to achieve a better balance, especially after becoming less vulnerable to counter-attacks that they suffered from previously. However, he expressed his dissatisfaction with the second-half performance against Lecce, explaining that the excessive passing to the goalkeeper reduced their attacking initiative, even though the team did not allow their opponent to create dangerous chances.

Several Juventus players acknowledged the need to improve their performance. Douglas Luiz expressed his happiness with the win and scoring a goal, but he pointed out that the team regressed in the second half. McKennie confirmed that securing the three points was the most important thing, while Locatelli emphasized that the team made many mistakes after the break, stressing the need to continue working to develop their performance.