Juventus head coach Thiago Motta was impressed by Napoli's courageous showing as the pair shared a goalless Serie A draw on Saturday. (More Football News)
Motta's team started their campaign with two convincing 3-0 wins against Como and Verona but have f൩ailed to score in the league since, recording three 0-0 draws so far in September.
The Napoli result marked just the fifth time 🦂Juventus have been held to three straight draws in Serie A history, with the last such instance coming in May 1992 under boss Giovanni Trapattoni.
It also proved just the second occasion this decade of Juventus fa𝓀iling to find the net for three games in a row in Serie A, along with a run between February and March 2011 with Luigi Delneri in charge.
Motta apportion𒊎ed some credit to Antonio Conte's visitors, though was frustrated with parts of the hosts' showing.
"I expected tꦑhis attitude, although they played at our home and I didn't expect them to be as courageous as they normally are," Motta said at the post-match press conference.
"[Whether it was] the🧸ir strategy or our merit, we found ourselves with the team with a low defensive block in the penalty area and therefore difficult to attack.
"It's n꧟ot a question of filling [the box] but of attacking it at the right time.
"We faced a team that knows how to defendꦡ the penalty area well. When a team closes up, it's not easy to score.
"In my opinꦬion, we did better than in the match against Roma. Inside the box, it was difficult against a team that defends well. We had a good performance but not enough to win."
Juventus finished the game with only one s✅hot on target and striker Dusan Vlahovic, goalless in his fourth consecutive game across all competitions, was s🀅ubstituted at half-time.
"It's difficult to win without scoring, we neede🔴d an extra contribution from us midfielders too," said Bianconeri mid෴fielder Weston McKennie.
"[Vlahovic] won't be happy but the who🥂le team must put him in a position to score."
Juventus trave⭕l to 11th-placed Genoa next Saturday before they visit RB Leipzig in the Champions League on October 2.
