As the race for the Serie A title and top four intensifies, [Juventus](https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com) — whose hopes of securing the trophy seemed impossible some months ago — are now just six points off league leaders Inter. On Sunday night, the Bianconeri, invigorated by their commanding victory against Hellas Verona earlier in the week, face off against third place Atalanta at home.
During Saturday’s pre-match press conference, coach Thiago Motta discussed team tactics, individual growth, and provided some injury updates. Regarding their mentality and the team’s late bid for the title, Motta asserted that his squad is in good condition both mentally and physically.
However, he emphasized the importance of remaining steadfast and not buckling under pressure.
“We are completely focused, we are aware of the quality of the opponent and we don’t waste energy being distracted by anything else,” Motta said. “We have to put everything we have worked on into practice to put in a great performance and get the win. The boys have been working hard since day one: we have to work to find a balance, they put a lot of responsibility on themselves but sometimes this gives an advantage to the opponent because they play with added pressure. I have great confidence in them because they work hard, because they are a team and they know exactly where they are and where they want to go.”
Nonetheless, while potentially challenging for the title remains an important and increasingly plausible goal, Motta emphasized that the upcoming match is always the most important — a further attempt to shield his team from the pressure.
“We need to solely concentrate on the challenge against Atalanta, as we always do for any match,” Motta said. “Our philosophy is to focus on the next match. We will come up against a strong opponent tomorrow, they have quality players and a very good coach who helped me at a time that was not easy in my playing career. Atalanta are a unique team, and are characterised by always pressing high. They also have the ability to change their marking system during the match itself, they know how to play good football and leave little space for their opponent. There are many aspects that make them a strong team. In the reverse fixture we put in a great performance, but it was not enough to win, that explains the level of who we will face. We will continue to do what we have to do to get the win.”
Additionally, Motta spoke about individual players such as Teun Koopmeiners — who, after arriving over the summer from Atalanta, scored just his second league goal of the season in the win over Hellas Verona.
“Koopmeiners has done well since he arrived,” Motta said. “You always have to try to improve, I am very happy for him for the goal he scored in the last game. He is a very important guy both on and off the pitch, he has helped a lot and will continue to do so because he is very professional.”
Motta also discussed youngster Kenan Yildiz’s development, asserting that the Turkish international is “doing well and must continue to develop as he is doing. He is very young and there is huge potential for improvement. He knows it, he’s humble, he’s willing to learn. He has never stopped this year, he is always there.”
Finally, after providing an injury update and proclaiming that “(Gleison) Bremer, (Juan) Cabal, (Arkadiusz) Milik, (Jonas) Rouhi, Douglas Luiz, (Francisco) Conceicao, and (\[Nicolo) Savona will be unavailable for the challenge against the Bergamo side,” Motta praised his players and provided some areas for improvement.
“We must continue to consistently create goalscoring opportunities in all sorts of ways,” Motta said. “The important thing is to create, then the chances of scoring goals increase and also of winning games. I congratulate our forwards and midfielders for their help in the defensive phase. They contribute a lot in making our team a solid team. The defenders and goalkeepers have certainly done well too, but thanks also to those in front of them who are selfless, supportive, and helpful.”