Juventus ´on the right path´ after Inter victory, says Motta

Juventus coach Thiago Motta praised his players for their dedication and hard work after Sunday’s 1-0 Derby d’Italia win over Inter continued their recent upturn.

Francisco Conceicao struck the only goal of the game in Turin as Juventus dealt the Nerrazzurri just their third loss of the season, climbing into the top four in the process.

Juventus have drawn 13 league matches already this term to sit well off the pace set by the Scudetto frontrunners, but they have now strung together four straight wins in all competitions.

“I don’t do my work to please or displease anyone, I do it for myself because I know we’re on the right path,” Motta told reporters after Sunday’s game.

“I like to see the team improve, battle, work hard, and play good football to win the game.

“The players, above all, deserve the support of the fans. They give their all every day for the team and for Juventus.”

Reflecting on Juve’s win over reigning champions Inter, who remain two points behind leaders Napoli, Motta said his team had started too tentatively in the first half.

“We certainly had a different energy in the second half. The first was tough, and we showed them too much respect, allowing them too much time on the ball,” he said.

“We know Inter have a lot of quality, but if you don’t press them you end up struggling. We did much better with that in the second half.”

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Motta added that performing at home in the Allianz Stadium had proven to be a bigger challenge than playing on the road this season, though the Bianoconeri have won all four of their games in Turin since the turn of the year.

“We seem to have more freedom away from home,” he said. “At home, we’ve faced struggles.

“The first half tonight was a reminder of that, but in the second half we pressed high, played good football, and earned the win.”

Juventus go to the Netherlands for the second leg of their Champions League play-off with PSV on Wednesday, before facing Cagliari in Serie A on Sunday.