Juventus concluded their match against Celta Vigo in the Europa League with an extremely marginal victory, but the analysis of Portuguese defender Francisco Conceição highlights that the result was the result of a first half that did not reflect expectations. After leaving the pitch in the 64th minute, when Nico González was brought on in Conceição's place, the player explained that coach Luciano Spalletti had asked his staff to review the team's mentality.
According to Conceição, the first half was characterized by delays in passing and a lack of coordination, elements that were not present in the training preparation. “The coach said halfway through the match: 'We can't win if we don't do what we train'. Our task is to carry this message in the following matches,” declared the defender. The player underlined that the team only started playing according to the plan in the second half, when they began to implement the strategies discussed in preparation.
The goalkeeper also highlighted how the coach did not undergo any lineup changes upon returning from the locker room, but opted for a mental change. "Sometimes you don't need to change players to understand that you're not doing well. The first half wasn't what you need to win, but the second was. We scored two goals and we could have done even more," he added. Conceição recalled that Nick Woltemade's goal and Teun Koopmeiners' performance contributed to creating a positive atmosphere on the pitch, but reiterated that the team must prove that they are capable of playing every three days.
Looking to the next match, Juventus is preparing to challenge Lazio in the championship. Conceição expressed the need not to repeat the mistakes of the match against Celta: "We must learn from this experience and not try to recover in retrospect. If we do well from the first minute, we won't need to come back." The objective is therefore to maintain concentration and play according to the training plan from the start of the match.