Gasperini: “We’re still in it. We mustn’t let this result get us down”

Here is what our coach had to say about the match.

What do you blame the team and yourself the most for in how you handled the final minute of the game?

“It’s not just the final minute. It’s also the first goal, from a free kick and from a great distance. We’re a bit passive in that respect. We are static. We’re positioned well, as always. But we have seen this pattern many times throughout the season, right in the final minutes, particularly with major teams, meaning Inter, Napoli, Milan: they often pull it off in the final minutes or even in stoppage time. And of course, in these situations they resort to very talented players, who are good at handling set-pieces in aerial duels. These teams have picked up a lot of vital points in this type of situation. And they deserve to be praised for it. 

“And we definitely could’ve done a bit better because throughout the first half and for part of the second we did perform well. Then we became static; we didn’t move and didn’t react to that free kick, while what we needed instead was a firm response.” 

Did you sit too deep toward the end?

“Well, there’s nothing wrong with that toward the end of a game because by doing so, you can respond with a fast counter-attack. In fact, our third goal was also the result of space that was created. Of course, it’s doable when you have a player like [Donyell] Malen who allows you to sit deep a bit and exploit the space. We should’ve been more physical. It’s clear that we showed a bit of fragility in that department; we lack a bit of ‘bite’ on contested balls, but [Daniele] Ghilardi came on to help.

“The three goals were very similar to one another, goals from long balls, some from a great distance. The first goal was also scored thanks to [Francisco] Conceicao’s skills: he took a great shot from outside the box. We were too passive for their second goal. 

“We have to try again. We mustn’t try different things; that’s not what we need. Of course, had we won and been seven points ahead of Juventus and the other teams behind us, it would’ve been a huge step forward, but we’re still in it. We’re still in this competition. We played an extraordinary game and we mustn’t let this result get us down.” 

Could Neil El Aynaoui’s foul on the third goal perhaps have been avoided?

“It could’ve been avoided. It’s what led to us conceding that goal. We scored on a set-piece too, so we didn’t only concede those goals. We need a more assertive attitude and be more active in the final minutes of our games. You need to be fast in the final five minutes and there can be no room for fatigue on set-pieces. Juventus did not have any major chances. They could’ve only scored on set-pieces.”