Juventus' new coach, Thiago Motta, expressed his happiness with his team's performance following a 3-0 victory over Como in their opening league match on Monday. Juventus showcased a confident performance in their win against the newly-promoted Como, thanks to goals from Samuel Mbangula, Timothy Weah, and Andrea Cambiaso at the Allianz Stadium.
In a press conference, Motta stated, "I was pleased with the performance, but more importantly, the result. We deserved to win. I liked the team’s defensive performance, the understanding of when to press, the reorganization, and the readiness of the attackers, and Dusan (Vlahovic) pressed from the start."
He added, "I feel satisfied. We can also improve, and we will try to do that in everything. I believe this team should and can do this."
Juventus, which won nine consecutive league titles between 2012 and 2020, hopes for a fresh start under the Italian-Brazilian coach, whose main goal with the team will be to secure the Serie A title for the first time in four years. Motta remarked, "Humility is always required. Just as Dusan did when he dropped back to help defensively ... we played well against a very good team that came with great enthusiasm, and we faced them with great respect, in the right way: defending together as a team; when we have the ball, we have players with high quality and a great understanding of timing and the game, and we delivered a very good performance throughout the match."
Motta (41 years old) praised Serbian striker Vlahovic, who had a series of chances and had a goal disallowed for offside. He said, "Dusan had a fantastic match, both with the ball and without it; he is a crucial player for us, and the team definitely needs him."
Vlahovic could have doubled Juventus' lead before halftime from a free-kick, but Como goalkeeper Pepe Reina saved the effort from the 24-year-old striker before he hit the far post moments later. Motta added, "We need to recover from this match, regain our energy, and focus on the match against Hellas Verona."
