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Federico Chiesa goal gives Juventus win over Chelsea
Thomas Tuchel admitted his second consecutive 1-0 defeat as Juventus claimed victory over Chelsea in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Besides, after Chelsea failed at home to Premier League title challenges Manchester City on Saturday, Federico Chiesa secured the only goal of the game straight after half-time to give Juve the points.
Moreover, Juve has remained a difficult start to the season under new boss Massimiliano Allegri, lying 10th in Serie A, but they put that back them in Europe.
Juve was content to permit Chelsea to hold throughout the first half, with Thomas Tuchel’s men enjoying 72% of the play in Turin. But notwithstanding dominating the ball, Chelsea fought to generate chances and open up the home side.
Furthermore, Juve bought the first goal of the game and it came just 10 seconds after the restart. Federico Bernardeschi fed Chiesa inside the area, and the striker lifted his shot expertly into the roof of the net.
Juve should have made it two when Adrien Rabiot cushioned a ball across the box into the way of Bernardeschi, but he somehow shot over the bar with the goal at his mercy.
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Chelsea almost stole a 95th-minute equalizer but Kai Havertz headed over the bar. Afterward, Tuchel said he felt his side had lost their mental sharpness even before the Champions League holders stepped on the pitch.
“We had a very good training session yesterday,” Tuchel told reporters. “We were absolutely sharp and looked very fresh and very hungry, ready for bounce-back [from defeat to Manchester City].
“I think it’s very difficult to find a rhythm against a team that defends so deep, it was completely the other way around in the Manchester City game.
“The big difference was that we gave big mistakes away that cost us confidence. Early today I could tell it was different. We were not as fresh mentally as we were in training yesterday. I don’t know why.”
Tuchel’s team did not have a single attempt on target against City at the weekend, but the German insisted he is not worried by their lack of attacking threat.
“We were lacking runs, we were struggling to find our rhythm and to keep the belief structure,” Tuchel added.
“Maybe it is a shooting problem, because if you don’t shoot then you don’t score. But if you play against a team that sits so deep like today it is hard to take shots. We will learn.”
The win over Chelsea was Juve’s third win in a row in all competitions, as the Serie A team moved onto six points at the top of Champions League Group H.
“Usually sailors always find the way out when they are in a storm,” Allegri said. “Tonight we played a good match against the European champions.
“There is no turning point, let’s just take the six points and be happy. The [league] championship is another thing.
“Tonight the team understood that against another side who do not allow you to have possession, you have to adapt and have a defensive match. I never got angry, the defending was perfect.”