Juventus played like a team 'possessed', says Vlahovic

Juventus lost two players, including captain Gleison Bremer, to injury in the first 12 minutes. With the score locked at 1-1, Juventus were then reduced to 10 men after 59 minutes when goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio handled outside the box. Leipzig took the lead through a Benjamin Sesko penalty shortly after and looked on track to win. 

The visitors however dug deep, equalising through a stunning long-range strike from Vlahovic - his second of the match - before an excellent solo goal from Francisco Conceicao won the game. Vlahovic said "during the break we spoke with (coach) Thiago (Motta) and we left the locker room like a team possessed.

"I'm very happy for the team. We played almost a half with 10 men and showed that we were a team, winning deservedly... we pressed them high and succeeded." The Serbian now has four goals in his past two games after a brace in Sunday's 3-0 Serie A win at Genoa.

"We played even better with 10 men. The courage was not mine but that of my players," Motta told reporters. "The team gave me the feeling that they were really convinced of what we had talked about before the match. Even with one man less, the will was to go forward and hurt the opponents. So why go back? We did well until the last minute."

Match-winner Conceicao said playing for a draw was never an option despite Leipzig's numerical advantage. "We are Juventus. We must try and win against all opponents," saying it was a "deserved victory." Motta said he was not sure about Bremer's injury status, saying "let's hope the situation isn't serious."

 

October 2, 2024