Kosta Runjaic spoke to the press on Friday ahead of the home showdown with Juventus on Saturday. Here’s what he had to say.
“In recent days, we first analysed the match against Venezia, showing the players what we did well and where we went wrong. Then we trained, though not with our usual intensity as we play again tomorrow. It’ll be a difficult match against a team with real quality, but we've already shown that we can hold our own against big teams. Now we want to prove we can earn points against them too.
“Juventus have well over ten top-level players in their squad. It’s always an advantage for the coach to have so many choices and play those who haven’t had as much playing time, and who are often even more motivated. I’m pleased to be facing Juventus, but it’s important to stay focused on ourselves, on our game and I think we’ll put in a good performance. It’s possible to pick up points against Juventus.
“The match with Venezia hurt us, but it’s also something to keep in mind, as it showed that games are won only when the referee blows the final whistle. In the first half, we played well, dominated and scored twice, but then we slowed down the pace, which was the issue. We lost concentration in certain details and weren’t cohesive, which allowed our opponents to rally and score a goal that they should never have been able to score in that situation. They got a breath of fresh air and from there, the game changed.
"It wasn’t about individuals, but how we approached the second half. Tactics are just one part of the game. The team must know how to position themselves and handle the match dynamics. We should’ve scored a third goal, but didn’t take advantage of our opportunities, allowing Venezia to come back into it. This isn’t about individuals. I can take responsibility. The match taught us that thinking we could perform better can be turned on its head, as Venezia did extremely well in the second half, especially in terms of energy. We made mistakes, but I won’t dwell on those.
“[Isaak] Touré won’t be involved tomorrow; [Christian] Kabasele and [Lautaro] Giannetti will start, and we need to position them well. We must stay alert at the back, cover spaces and keep control of the ball as we did at times at Venezia. Tomorrow is another test and we’ll learn more lessons. We have an immediate chance for redemption and we need to take advantage of the home crowd’s support. We’re a tough team to beat at home.
“[Thomas] Kristensen will rejoin the squad next week. He needed more time as the injury was worse than expected, but he’s running again now and he’ll then be back in full training and eventually part of the matchday squad. After the international break, he’ll be back at 100%. [Jurgen] Ekkelenkamp will be back and other than [Alexis] Sanchez, everyone will be available from next week.
“I hope the lads take to the pitch with great motivation and passion. We know what we need to do and that we’re up against a strong side with great individual talent. We can’t afford to drop our guard for even a moment. We all need to work together. Any game can go wrong, especially against a team like Juventus, as we learned from Venezia. I can’t guarantee an outcome, but we’ll do everything we can to make life difficult for them. We want to do a lot of things very well and if we can, we’ll be able to get a result.
“[Keinan] Davis will start tomorrow. [Florian] Thauvin is 100% ready. He hasn’t trained much yet but rejoined the group last week and is eager to contribute. We don’t have many players of his calibre and we’re all thrilled to have him back. He’s pleased too, of course. He’s still feeling a bit of pain here and there, which will take time to disappear, but he’s fully fit and ready to play.”