Beyond the general malaise, Spalletti pinpointed specific tactical deficiencies that left his side exposed. The injury crisis in defence forced the manager into uncomfortable compromises, most notably the deployment of Weston McKennie in a defensive role and the shifting of Pierre Kalulu.
The balance of the backline was a major concern, with Pafos finding it far too easy to create goalscoring opportunities on the counter-attack. Spalletti’s analysis of his full-backs was particularly telling, highlighting the trade-off between offensive output and defensive solidity.
"Difficulty defending? It is true, we must also recover a right centre-back to let Kalulu play full-back and not McKennie," Spalletti explained.
He reserved specific criticism for the defensive vulnerabilities on the flanks, noting that while Andrea Cambiaso offers a threat going forward, he can become a liability when facing dynamic wingers.
"Also Cambiaso is very offensive and struggles against players who cut inside," the manager added. "We conceded too much and exploited our qualities little, missing easy balls. For the moment it is like this, we take the second half."