Luciano Spalletti insists Juventus are still below the level of Inter and Napoli, despite a dominant 5-0 win over Cremonese that moved the Bianconeri into the Scudetto conversation.
Luciano Spalletti has played down Juventus’ Scudetto credentials, insisting the Bianconeri are still “not at the level” of Inter and Napoli, even after their emphatic 5-0 demolition of Cremonese in Serie A. The result allowed Juventus to capitalise on dropped points elsewhere and move level with Roma and Napoli in the standings.
Juventus made full use of the opportunity presented to them after the weekend’s stalemates at the top, producing a ruthless display that left Cremonese overwhelmed. However, the match also featured its share of controversy, with Gleison Bremer opening the scoring by inadvertently diverting Fabio Miretti’s off-target effort into the net.
Jonathan David then struck on the counter-attack before a penalty initially awarded to Cremonese was overturned following a VAR review. Juventus later benefited from their own spot-kick, although Kenan Yildiz needed a second attempt to score after Emil Audero pushed his initial effort onto the post.
Weston McKennie went on to play a decisive role, forcing a Filippo Terracciano own goal before sealing the scoring himself with a powerful header. Despite the convincing scoreline, Spalletti was unimpressed by the officiating decisions on the night.
“I just want to note that in my view, neither of the two penalties today should’ve been awarded,” Spalletti told reporters. He acknowledged Juventus’ control of the match but admitted there were still moments of instability in their performance.
“When you take on this work, there can always be surprises, good and bad ones, as the pitch does the talking,” Spalletti said. “We were set up well and had the right hunger, but there were still a few wobbles that are hard to get rid of.”
The win lifts Juventus firmly into the title discussion on 39 points, but Spalletti was keen to stress the wider context. Napoli, Inter and Milan all have games in hand due to Supercoppa Italiana commitments, which could reshape the table once those fixtures are completed.
Looking ahead to this weekend’s heavyweight clash with Napoli, Spalletti admitted the gap still remains. “I watched Inter-Napoli last night and they showed the top level of football,” he said. “We need to improve a lot to reach that level, and we need to take those steps quickly.”
