Coach Motta praises Juventus’ attitude in win over Verona

Juventus showed great team effort when they actively engaged in pressing the opponent, manager Thiago Motta said after they beat Verona 3-0 in Serie A on Monday, praising his players for the job well done.
Juventus delivered another brilliant performance to move to the top of the standings, after they beat promoted Como 3-0 last week in their season opener.
“You can see the group’s attitude from the way they press the opponent. They take risks, but if you recover the ball it’s a big advantage,” Motta said. Congratulations to Dusan (Vlahovic), but also to all the others who applied good pressure allowing us to score. This phase of the game is important, we need everyone. Today our forwards worked hard and well, having this balance is very important because it leads us to play games like tonight’s.”
Striker Vlahovic scored twice to help Juventus secure a comfortable victory. “A positive leader in the group,” Motta added. “He played for the team, doing a lot of movement and above all he is a player who knows how to score goals. I am satisfied with him, he must continue like this.”
Netting his first Serie A goal since April, the Serbian forward seemed relieved to have been back on target. “We got the three points, I’m happy for (Nicolo) Savona, for the team and for the fans,” Vlahovic said. “I was a bit unlucky with Como, but today the goals arrived and I’m happy with the attitude of the team. The results are the consequence of the work we do.”
The 24-year-old, who was the league’s second-best scorer last season with 16 goals, had a series of chances against Como including a goal ruled out for offside. At Verona, Vlahovic looked well positioned to bag a hat-trick, coming close to flicking Savona’s header inside the net with his own head.
“Vlahovic told me he didn’t touch it, he left it to me and I’m very happy, especially for the team’s victory,” Savona said. “(Scoring was) definitely a dream, let’s hope we continue like this”.
Savona, 21, made his first starting line-up against Verona after coming on from the bench at halftime last week.
Juventus, who kick-started their campaign with a 3-0 win over promoted Como last week, are the only side who kept their points tally at a maximum over the opening two match days of the Italian top flight and lead the standings with six points. They were winless in their previous eight away games in Serie A.
Vlahovic put Juve in front in the 28th minute with a low shot from around the penalty spot for his first league goal since April 19. Manuel Locatelli won the ball on the left flank before Kenan Yildiz teed up Vlahovic with a low pass into the box and the Serbian striker struck past Verona keeper Lorenzo Montipo into a bottom corner.
Defender Savona doubled the lead for the visitors before the break, scoring with a header inside a far post. Samuel Mbangula set up Savona with a brilliant lofted pass across the face of the goal and the 21-year-old, coming from Juventus’ reserves team, scored on his first start for the first team.
Vlahovic then made it 3-0 from the spot following halftime, after Juve were awarded a penalty for Jackson Tchatchoua’s foul on winger Samuel Mbangula. Juventus have won both of their opening two Serie A games of a season for the first time since 2019-20.
Since their return to the top-flight in 2007-08, only once have they previously won their opening two Serie A matches without conceding, doing so in 2014-15. Verona, who looked nothing like the team who stunned Napoli 3-0 at home last week, could have pulled a goal back seven minutes from time through Casper Tengstedt.
The Danish forward produced the only shot on target for the hosts but his effort from point-blank range was saved by Juve goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio. Juventus next host AS Roma on Sunday while Verona travel to Genoa earlier that day.