Juventus Psychological Fragility Exposed After Home Defeat To Como, Says Spalletti

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Juventus suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Como, with Luciano Spalletti stressing that "our real opponents are ourselves" as the pressure grows. The result extended Juventus' winless streak to five competitive games and ended a long unbeaten spell at Allianz Stadium, raising further doubts over the team’s mental strength in this Serie A campaign.

Mergim Vojvoda and Maxence Caqueret scored for Cesc Fabregas' Como, who moved to within one point of fifth-placed Juventus in the Serie A table. The loss was Juventus' first at home this season and their first at Allianz Stadium since a 4-0 defeat to Atalanta in March 2025, halting a 16-match unbeaten home run in all competitions.

The setback also carried historical weight for Juventus. Saturday's result was Juventus' first top-flight home defeat to Como since April 1951. Fabregas' side completed a Serie A double over Juventus for only the second time, matching a sequence of three straight league wins recorded between November 1950 and January 1952 against the Bianconeri.

The Juventus coach focused less on statistics and more on how the goals were conceded. Defensive errors and a mistake by goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio allowed Como an early advantage and shaped the contest. Spalletti highlighted repeated slow starts, noting that Juventus allowed the opener 13 times this season, which has undermined results over many weeks.

"The performance was also dictated by that first goal, because incidents do make the difference," Spalletti told DAZN Italia. "We tried to get back into the game with individual pressing, but they forced us to go after them with their quality and possession. When you concede the opening goal 13 times, you pay for that in the long run."

"There was a spell when we had enthusiasm and some wonderful performances, then when that is lacking, so is the self-belief, the errors prove costly, and it becomes difficult to react psychologically," Spalletti added.

Spalletti underlined that Juventus' issues against Como in Serie A were tied to mindset as much as tactics. The coach described a group weighed down by recent results, which affected technical choices under pressure. Spalletti said misplaced passes and nervous decisions were uncharacteristic for these players, suggesting the squad felt stuck by the circumstances.

"This is how it works in the heads of the players, there is too much pressure over recent results, and these moments make the difference. It's all about self-belief, that we have what it takes. We had managed to create that belief in our potential, but when confidence and a sense of authority goes I saw misplaced passes that are simply never done by my players. It's not something that happens, and they feel trapped by the situation."

Despite Weston McKennie’s poor back-pass and Di Gregorio's failed intervention before the first goal, Spalletti declined to highlight individuals after Juventus' Serie A loss to Como. Instead, the coach stressed shared responsibility within the defensive unit and the wider team, arguing that several players could have handled the build-up more carefully and protected possession better.

"Di Gregorio has no extra responsibility compared to all his teammates. He makes a mistake, just as the superficial back-pass was a mistake in the build-up," the Juve boss continued. "Everyone could've done better defending that situation, not losing the ball cheaply, the responsibility must always be shared. Our opponents are in this case ourselves. If we can sort some things out on a psychological and technical level, then we can have our say. If this is our level, then we'll lose and cannot have ambition for any result."

With Juventus now winless in five matches across competitions, including one draw and four defeats, the setback against Como in Serie A deepened concerns about form and belief. Spalletti’s comments pointed to psychological and technical adjustments as essential if Juventus are to recover competitiveness and sustain ambitions in the league during the coming fixtures.