Juventus Manager Hyped Ahead of His First Derby della Mole In Charge

Juventus manager Thiago Motta has addressed the press ahead of today’s heavily anticipated Serie A encounter against crosstown rivals Torino. The latest edition of the famous Derby della Mole comes amid Juve’s rough patch, bookended by a 1-1 draw at Lille in midweek UEFA Champions League action.

“Our defense? It’s working very well, but we still have plenty of room for improvement,” Motta said. “This is true in general for all the areas of our team, not just the defense.

“The team’s mood is very good ahead of the Derby della Mole. This is a special match for us and for our fans. Tomorrow, we will do our best to put in a great performance.

“Derbies, in general, are beautiful games to play and here I felt exactly that feeling and, as a result, we will give our all to get a positive result for the fans,” the Juventus boss continued. “I feel very privileged because since I started playing professional football I have lived in big cities.

“Today, it is the same because I coach a great team and I live in a beautiful city like Turin.”

Stalemates have been a running theme for Juventus this season. Four of their last five outings across all competitions have ended level, except for a 2-0 win at Udinese in the previous Serie A round. That success saw Motta’s side take advantage of Napoli’s dreadful 3-0 home defeat to Atalanta to reduce the gap to only four points.