Spalletti: Juventus were passengers in defeat to Napoli

Luciano Spalletti conceded that his Juventus team were passengers during their defeat to Napoli on Sunday, a result that leaves them down in seventh place in Serie A. 

Spalletti watched on at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona as Rasmus Hojlund scored either side of Kenan Yildiz's 59th-minute leveller to send Napoli top of the table. 

Indeed, Juventus have now lost three of their last five away games in Serie A (W1 D1), as many defeats as in their previous 25 away games in the competition (W8 D14).

But they could have no complaints after a blunt first-half showing, registering an expected goals (xG) total of 0.1 from their two shots, though they did improve after the break. 

However, Spalletti insisted that Juventus' slow start was what caused them to endure a first league defeat since being downed by Lazio back in October (five games). 

"It's true, Napoli pushed harder from the start, we were too timid to move the ball around, then lost it cheaply, so they made us run after them," Spalletti told DAZN Italia.

"They are in good shape, so if you don't keep the ball, they make you run all over the pitch with their strength and quality."

Spalletti had said this was an important test for his Juventus against the Scudetto holders, but he admitted that there was a big difference between them.

"We can do better than we did today, as we gifted an incredible number of passes to them," Spalletti added. 

"If you don't control the game, you end up being the passenger for the others making decisions for you."

Juventus arrived in Naples without Dusan Vlahovic, who had scored three goals in 13 league appearances this season, but Spalletti's team selection raised a few eyebrows. 

He opted to deploy Kenan Yildiz as a false nine, despite having Jonathan David and Lois Openda on the bench, though the pair were introduced after the break.

Spalletti's decision looked like it had paid off when Yildiz raced on to Weston McKennie's pass before finding the bottom-left corner just before the hour mark. 

Indeed, Yildiz is only the second Juventus player in the last five decades to score at least five goals in his first 15 Serie A games in a single season before turning 21, after Alessandro Del Piero (five in 1994-95).

"I feel Yildiz and Conceicao can do those roles, as they pass the ball around well," Spalletti said of his decision.

"Locatelli sat a bit too deep and didn't maintain the position I wanted in midfield, then the two forwards had little mobility, and we kept getting bogged down in the middle.

"We didn't pass it around quickly or make the numerical advantage count in midfield."

It was always going to be an emotional evening for Spalletti, who was returning to Naples as opposition manager for the first time since winning the Scudetto with the Partenopei in 2023.

"Of course, when the fans sing these songs that I know of by heart, it is spectacular, an atmosphere that only the Stadio Maradona can provide," Spalletti added.