Adam Lallana in the dugout at St Mary's (Image: Craig Hobbs / Southampton FC)
Adam Lallana in the dugout at St Mary's (Image: Craig Hobbs / Southampton FC)
ADAM Lallana admitted disappointment after his dominant Saints under-21s were held to a 1-1 draw by Juventus, despite a "brilliant" first half.
Saints were on top for large periods of their Premier League International Cup opener but ultimately failed to make their best chances count.
Princewill Ehibhatiomhan scored his 12th goal in nine appearances before Davide Marchisio struck a spectacular second-half equaliser at St Mary's.
Lallana's side extended their unbeaten run to five matches, but the former Saints captain felt they should have won comfortably on the night.
"I just said to the boys in there that the overriding emotion or word is disappointment, because we should have won," Lallana told the Daily Echo .
20 October 2026 - ADAM LALLANA - Southampton FC U21 v Juventus U21 - Premier League International Cup, St. Marys, Southampton, England - Craig Hobbs
Adam Lallana and assistant Dean Wilkins (Image: Craig Hobbs / Southampton FC)
READ: Saints held to draw against Juventus to start International Cup
"I'll have to watch it back, but my feeling after 35 minutes was it should be three or four. The lads got a bit carried away towards the end of the first half.
"There were too many wrong decisions, maybe people wanting a moment for themselves. A little bit of the structure was slightly off from the sideline.
"But on the whole, the first half was brilliant. I've been involved in those sorts of games before where you're that dominant, but you're only one up.
"There's that feeling and that anxiety, especially with younger players that haven't felt it before. You know, kind of what if? What's going to happen?
"Credit to Juve as they scored a fantastic goal and regained momentum for 10-12 minutes. I thought we gathered that back towards the end.
"It was a hell of a strike, though. I almost clapped it from the technical area. Yes, I'm disappointed in the end, for the boys more than anything.
"They're naturally going to be disappointed too. We didn't punish them; we weren't ruthless and left ourselves open to a wonder strike or a set-piece.
"But it was good learning for my boys. On the whole, when I reflect on the game, I'll be pleased, but I want to win. I want to win. I want to be ruthless."
The encounter was also a physical test for Saints, with several heavy challenges during a well-contested evening in front of over 7,000 fans.
Juventus brought considerable size and strength, with several players accustomed to facing senior opposition week-in, week-out in Italy's Serie C.
"We made them aware of that. If there's one thing we can take from the Italians and tonight, it's that we've got to be streetwise," Lallana added.
"Maybe we're being a little bit too soft down here on the south coast, maybe coming through Southampton. I don't want my teams to represent that.
"But it's development football. There are some young players, so we're always learning, and I didn't think we were soft or naive at all tonight.
"I just thought we weren't ruthless enough in front of goal, even though we created more and, of late, we've been extremely ruthless, scoring five or six."
Davide Marchisio, son of Claudio, has just scored a rocket to make it 1-1. Knee slides in front of the Saints fans (mostly children) prompting plenty of booing. Almost as dramatic as the half-time relay race. Seriously good goal for Juventus. 1-1 after 70 minutes. #SaintsFC https://t.co/HmLwxF1Hna
— Alfie House (@AlfieHouseEcho) October 20, 2026
READ: 'What I want to do' - Saints starlet Ehibhatiomhan sets out aims
Saints youngsters are gaining valuable experience against different opposition through a varied programme of competitions each season.
They recently beat National League side Boston United 6-5 in the National League Cup, alongside their strong Premier League 2 campaign.
The International Cup provides another challenge and unique opponents, with Valencia, Monaco and Genk still to come in their group.
"It was a good challenge. Seeing them turn up off the coach, yes, there were some giants. It was a different test for us, a different look," Lallana said.
"It's always great playing in these international tournaments because you get to feel the different cultures and the different ways of playing.
"The game has definitely moved on since I was their age. It's a great programme, and they're not all just six-foot-five in the National League.
"We've started the season well. We've got a strong group. Some players have come to the squad from the younger age group as well.
"The likes of Lewis Day and Calum Anderson have stepped up, and we've got Max Little, who is a first-year scholar. It's a nice blend in the squad.
"There is also experience, and some lads who won't want to be playing in the under-21s come January, and their pathway will look slightly different.
"I'm really happy with the group I've got and the staff, Matty [Etherington] and Dean Wilkins as well. We're having a lot of fun training the lads."