27 January 2019
Giorgio Chiellini was brutally honest about Juventus' performance after a below-par display against Lazio, which nonetheless saw the Bianconeri leave the Olimpico with all three points.
“For the first 60 minutes I think it was the worst Juve performance of the season. We've used up a lot of energy recently and the trip to Jeddah broke up our rhythm but it was important for us to win tonight one way or another.
“We did well to turn the game around after going behind. We dug deep and found the mental energy we needed after conceding.”
Asked what Juve's secret is, the skipper replied: “We have players who make a difference in every area of the pitch. Take [Wojciech] Szczesny, for example – he kept us in it today with some great saves.”
The captain then looked ahead to a busy run of fixtures, with a trip to Atalanta in the Coppa Italia on Wednesday followed by three Serie A fixtures and the Champions League first leg against Atletico Madrid.
“You'll see the real Juve from 20 February,” Chiellini continued, “but in the meantime we have to keep doing what we're doing, working on our mistakes and picking up results.
“We have a cup game on Wednesday and we want to do well in the tournament, although we'll be up against a team in great form. For now we'll just enjoy this win tonight.”
