“They did not finish the good deed”

Juventus won a strong-willed victory over Lokomotiv in the match of the third round of the Champions League group stage. The meeting, held in Turin, ended with the score 2: 1 in favor of the hosts. Muscovites led for most of the game, but at the 77th and 79th minutes, Paulo Dybala scored twice and put the Italians ahead.

Despite a disappointing defeat, the head coach of the guests, Yuri Semin, was pleased with the performance of his wards. He noted that the team realized 100% of its capabilities, but in the end it was not ready for the actions of the opponent.

“Of course, there is disappointment because they did not finish the good deed. There must have been reasons, after all. Firstly, there have been major changes, replacements in Juventus. We could not quickly respond to these players. From the Turin side there was constantly pressure, and it turned into goals. In particular, we lost the central zone - two hits, ”the mentor on Match TV broadcast shared his impressions.

He complained about personnel problems as part of his team. In particular, we are talking about defender Benedikt Hövedes and midfielders Vladislav Ignatiev and Grzegorz Krychowiak, who missed previous matches.

“Why didn’t you make a replacement? It's not that there is nobody to let out - we had seven players in stock. But I thought that these guys will bring everything to a positive result. Did not work out. Football players always implement the plan, but they did not have the physical condition. If they had not been injured before, they would have been in better shape, ”Semin added.

In addition, the mentor paid tribute to the talent of the Juventus players, who are not easy to compete with on the field. According to him, the railroad gained valuable experience playing against such a strong opponent. In conclusion, he talked about what he talked with striker Cristiano Ronaldo after the final whistle.

“Cristiano said it was hard for them. He asked if we could open up more. He replied that we would open more, it would be more difficult for us ourselves, ”Semin quotes“ Championship ”.

In turn, the players of Lokomotiv also recognized that the outcome of the match was decided by their shortcomings in the ending. So, according to the author of the only goal against Wojciech Szensny, Alexei Miranchuk, the team failed to cope with the pressure from Turintsy.

“They scored the ball, but it was hard. They play well in the pass, in front of the penalty area - with one touch, everyone moves. Performing skills are at the highest level. In the end we got a little tired, some centimeters weren’t working, and we were punished right away. Very hard, but you can fight. Just somewhere you need to be a little more concentrated. And if you realize your moments, then there are chances with such teams, ”the midfielder explained.

He confirmed the words of Semin that the Muscovites were not in good shape.

“What prevented me from gaining points? It was hard physically, most of the time defended. There were approaches, and we need to squeeze more out of such moments, ”Miranchuk concluded.

Höwedes admitted that he was pleased to enter the field against the team in which he managed to play before moving to Russia. At the same time, the defender regretted the lost chance of Lokomotiv.

“I would like to take one or three points to Moscow. I think we deserve a little more than defeat. But in the end, the difference is that Juventus has players like Dybala. They can change the game in just four minutes. As for the lack of replacements, yes, a little tired in the end. This is probably the main reason why they missed. But I’m not a coach, he knows better, ”said the German.

Despite the current result, Lokomotiv are confident that before the return match the team will take into account their mistakes and be able to take revenge.

“I think in Moscow the game will be similar to today's. You saw that you can win against Juve, we scored and scored for a long time, it was just five minutes where we did not have 100% concentration. But we had chances to win, ”Höwedes emphasized.

"The left leg of Dybala played a role"

Despite the victory, Juventus head coach Maurizio Sarri was not completely satisfied with the match. According to him, Turintsy owned the initiative on the field, had many chances, but failed to realize them. He suggested that the meeting could end with a greater difference in the long run.

“In such matches it seems that you can control any moment, but for some reason you do not score. In such intensity, we could not even think that we would get a goal. It was the worst thing because they did not know how to react. But in the end, they were able to deploy the game and showed the difference between the two teams, ”said the specialist.

At the same time, he paid tribute to the players of “Locomotive”, especially highlighting Alexei Miranchuk.

“I don’t know how Lokomotiv will play in the return game. If they have the same approach, they will probably qualify for a place in the Europa League. I liked the 59th number. His left leg is fine. Going against a team with this level of intensity is not easy. Today they were not able to play the same as in Leverkusen, ”added Sarri.

Defender Leonardo Bonucci noted that the Old Signora acted too softly in the first half of the meeting, which led to a conceded goal.

“After the break, the team began to play with more aggression. They told each other that if we show patience, we can and must win. And we did it. Of course, a team like Juventus has a solid roster and every player knows what he has to do on the field. The outcome of the matches is decided by the skill of the players - Ronaldo, Higuain, Bernardeschi and the same Dybala, as it happened today, ”said Bonucci.

Black and white goalkeeper Szczęsny also noted the nature of the partners who showed patience and managed to find gaps in the opponent’s defense.

“The victory was difficult, but we controlled the game. The Lokomotiv was fine, but Dybala’s left foot played a role. The Russians acted much deeper than the Bayer, closed in defense. I had to try different options. As a result, we played well, but scored only two goals, ”the goalkeeper explained.