Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel said he thought his team had lost its mental sharpness even before the Champions League holders stepped onto the pitch ahead of their 1-0 loss to Juventus in Turin on Wednesday. Federico Chiesa’s goal at the start of the second half was enough for the first Champions League group-stage defeat at Chelsea since September 2019, which saw the Blues suffer 1-0 consecutive defeats in all competitions.
“We had a great training session yesterday,” Tuchel told reporters. “We were absolutely quick and looking very refreshed and very hungry, ready to come back (from Saturday’s defeat at Manchester City).
“I think it’s very difficult to find the rhythm against a team defending so deeply, it was the complete opposite in Manchester City’s game.
“The big difference was that we fixed big mistakes that eroded our confidence. Early today I could tell it was different. We were not as mentally refreshed as we were training yesterday. I don’t know why.”
Chelsea enjoyed 73% possession in Turin against a Juventus side that had been struggling in Serie A this season and recorded just one shot on goal throughout the match – Romelu Lukaku’s opening effort.
Tuchel’s team did not make a single attempt on target against City over the weekend, but the German insists he is not worried about the lack of attack threat.
“We lacked runs, we were struggling to find our rhythm and maintain that structure of belief,” Tuchel said.
“Maybe it’s a shooting problem, because if you don’t shoot you don’t score. But if you play against a team that sits so deep like today, it’s difficult to take shots. We’ll learn.”
Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri was more poetic in recent weeks describing his team’s recovery from a poor start to the season.
Chelsea’s success was Juve’s third consecutive win in all competitions, as the Serie A team moved to the top of Champions League Group H on six points.
“Usually, sailors always find a way out in a storm,” Allegri said. “Tonight we played a good match against the European champions.
“There’s no turning back, let’s just take six points and be happy. The (league) championship is another thing.
“Tonight the team understood that against another side that doesn’t allow you to take possession, you have to adapt and match defensively. I never got angry, the defending was perfect.”
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