Juventus secured a 2-0 victory over Pafos in the Champions League at the Allianz Stadium. Despite this win, their first-half performance was criticised by Luciano Spalletti. The team was booed off at half-time
after a lacklustre display. Anderson Silva hit the post for Pafos, and Vlad Dragomir and Derrick Luckassen missed good chances. Juventus eventually won with goals from Weston McKennie and Jonathan David.
Spalletti expressed dissatisfaction with his team's overall performance, stating, "Of course, we need to do more. We are not happy, the lads are not happy with themselves. " He highlighted that some situations in the first half were "frankly embarrassing. " The coach emphasised the need for improvement despite securing the win.
Juventus allowed Pafos too many opportunities in the first half and made several mistakes. Spalletti noted, "It's true we allowed Pafos too much in the first half. We also made some cheap errors. " He acknowledged that it was surprising to see such errors from his players and stressed the importance of capitalising on opportunities.
In the second half, Juventus showed more composure on the ball, which helped them secure the win. Spalletti mentioned that they relaxed a bit after halftime and made better decisions. This victory boosted their chances of advancing to the knockout play-offs as they moved up to 17th place in the table, three points ahead of Benfica.
Despite their struggles, Spalletti recognised Pafos' quality as a team that concedes few goals apart from their match against Bayern Munich. He stated, "These are difficult fixtures. It was fundamental to get the win, so with a victory, many things look better. " This win was crucial for Juventus as they aim to progress further in the competition.
Morning, Bianconeri!pic.twitter.com/HAFBZ2riQp JuventusFC(@juventusfcen) December 11, 2025
The match highlighted areas where Juventus must improve if they hope to succeed in future games. While their second-half performance showed promise, consistency throughout matches will be key to achieving their goals this season.
