Soccer-Motta satisfied with point as 'compact' Juventus draw at Villa
BIRMINGHAM, England, Nov 27 (Reuters) -Juventus drew for a second successive game in the Champions League with a 0-0 stalemate away to Aston Villa on Wednesday, but manager Thiago Motta was satisfied to earn another point despite his side lying 19th in the standings.
An injury-hit Juventus, with only 14 outfield players available to Motta, held on bravely at Villa Park and after their scoreless draw at AC Milan at the weekend, the manager conceded that they again failed to create many chances.
"A point secured, the team continues to play compact and with balance," Motta told Amazon Prime Video.
"Aston Villa starts very fast and they look for their striker, we conceded little. It is clear that we have also created little, so as not to give Aston Villa what they were looking for.
Midfielder Teun Koopmeiners has been deployed further forward in recent games, given the absence of striker Dusan Vlahovic, and Motta is happy with how the Dutchman is performing.
"He is playing in a difficult position. Between the lines it was complicated for him. When he comes further back, he sees more of the game and feels more comfortable," Motta said.
"He must also make his contribution in the highest phase of the field, he can do it and in many games he has also come close to scoring.
"A special player, who can play multiple roles. I'm very happy to have him, he gives me peace of mind and is difficult to replace."
Juventus still have three games left in the competition, and despite their position, currently in the playoff section of the table, Motta's side are only two points off the top eight which would guarantee qualification to the last 16.
"We have great games to play between the league, Coppa Italia and Champions League," Motta said.
"Another good performance, a point, and we will continue to look for qualification. We will go out on the pitch always with our ideas and trying to win."
Reporting by Trevor Stynes
Editing by Toby Davis
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