Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic described his team’s performance as “possessed” during their dramatic 3-2 comeback victory against RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday. The match saw Juventus lose two players, including captain Gleison Bremer, to injuries within the first 12 minutes.
With the score tied at 1-1, Juventus faced another setback when goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio was sent off for handling the ball outside the box in the 59th minute. Leipzig took advantage, scoring through a penalty from Benjamin Sesko shortly afterward, putting them ahead.
However, Juventus refused to back down, equalizing with a stunning long-range strike from Vlahovic—his second goal of the match—before Francisco Conceicao netted an excellent solo goal to secure the win.
“During the break, we spoke with (coach) Thiago Motta, and we left the locker room like a team possessed,” Vlahovic said. “I’m very happy for the team. We played almost a half with 10 men and showed that we were a team, winning deservedly… we pressed them high and succeeded.”
The Serbian striker has now scored four goals in his last two matches, having netted a brace in Sunday’s 3-0 Serie A victory over Genoa.
Coach Thiago Motta praised his team’s resilience, stating, “We played even better with 10 men. The courage was not mine but that of my players. The team gave me the feeling that they were really convinced of what we had talked about before the match. Even with one man less, the will was to go forward and hurt the opponents. So why go back? We did well until the last minute.”
Match-winner Conceicao emphasized that settling for a draw was never an option, stating, “We are Juventus. We must try and win against all opponents,” and he labeled the victory as “deserved.”
Motta also commented on Bremer’s injury, expressing hope that it is not serious, saying, “Let’s hope the situation isn’t serious.”
