The hosts took the lead through Hugo Álvarez in the 18th minute, leaving Juventus to chase the game. Nick Woltemade restored parity in the 58th minute before Randal Kolo Muani, introduced from the bench, headed home Andrea Cambiaso’s cross in stoppage time to secure all three points.
Woltemade felt the performance marked a personal step forward. Speaking to Sky Sport, the forward said: “I think tonight was my best performance for Juventus. I did some good things, I can do better, but I’m happy with the goal because goals always give you confidence. I want to keep pushing.”
The German also welcomed the prospect of playing alongside Kolo Muani, who had scored in Juventus’ previous match against Cagliari. Asked whether he shared his teammate’s preference for a two-man attack, Woltemade replied: “Yes, I like playing with him. In general, when there are two strikers on the pitch, the defence can’t concentrate on just one. Today we did really well and he scored his second consecutive goal.”
Former manager Fabio Capello had suggested before kick-off that the pair should be used together, but Woltemade left the tactical decision to Spalletti.
“I’m not the coach, but I have faith in him,” he said. “I think if we keep scoring goals, that can only help us.”
Francisco Conceição, meanwhile, wanted to clear up speculation about his reaction after being substituted in the second half. The Portuguese winger told SportMediaset that he had been unhappy to leave the pitch while Juventus were playing well, but denied any confrontation with the coaching staff.
“I saw that a story came out that wasn’t true. I didn’t argue with anyone,” Conceição said. “I wanted to stay on the pitch, I didn’t want to come off, but I didn’t argue with anyone. I went out to go to the bathroom and change my shirt. Then I came back onto the pitch.”
Conceição also acknowledged that Juventus had struggled to execute their plans before the interval, with players frequently arriving late to challenges and losing control of the game. The second half, he argued, should become a model for future performances.
“In the first half we didn’t put into practice what we had worked on in training. We were always late. The second half, instead, has to be an example for the next matches. We did what you need to do to win games.”
The victory gives Juventus a result to build on, but the players’ reflections point to the challenge ahead: turning a spirited recovery into a more complete performance from the opening whistle.