Motta says Juventus must improve across the board
Juventus must improve all aspects of its performances if it is to challenge in Serie A this season, coach Thiago Motta has said.
Despite remaining unbeaten in the league, just two wins in ist past eight games has left Juve in sixth place with 18 points, seven behind leader Napoli.
Motta's side visits Udinese this weekend, which is seventh on 16 points having suffered four defeats in ist past six matches.
Juve finished third last term, 23 points behind runaway champion Inter Milan, and the season before it finished seventh.
Asked about the growing gap between Juve and its title rivals, Motta said: "No club has won the Scudetto in November. We think about Udinese and we want to improve in all aspects, we must all do more, including myself.
"We have to do much better to stay high up in the standings, we are still at the beginning and it's clear that we have to do much better given the results.
"But if a team deserved more it was ours, I am not the only one saying this, you can see it in the data."
The data does not exactly support Motta's claims, however, given Juve has actually outperformed its expected goals, scoring 17 times from 15.2 xG, which is the seventh-highest total in Serie A.
Juve has been excellent defensively, conceding seven goals from 7.6 xG against, which is the lowest total in the league.
However, the Bianconeri have conceded six goals in their past two league matches, after a 2-2 stalemate with Parma and a thrilling 4-4 draw at Inter, but Motta said the issue lies not in defence alone but his side's overall coordination and decision-making.
"We must improve collectively, be united and help each other more. We must be aggressive and leave less space between the lines," he added.
"We must make the best decisions as a team. We can’t let the opponents feel comfortable on the pitch."
Juve has drawn 16 of its 30 league games in 2024, winning 10 and losing four, a record in the top five European leagues.
Only once have the Bianconeri recorded more draws in a single calendar year in their Serie A history – 17 in 1956).
