Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti defended Jonathan David after his missed penalty against Lecce, insisting the striker remains a reliable spot-kick taker despite the 1-1 draw.

Luciano Spalletti has defended Jonathan David following Juventus’ 1-1 draw with Lecce, insisting his side delivered a strong performance despite failing to turn dominance into victory.

Speaking to the media after the match, the Juventus head coach admitted the key issue lay in the final third, where his team were unable to capitalise on the pressure they applied throughout the game.

“We need to improve our choices in the box,” Spalletti said. “We put the ball into dangerous areas many times in both halves, but we didn’t find the right touch to finish things off. That’s where we have to grow.”

Despite the dropped points, Spalletti was keen to underline the positives, describing the display as a step forward even if the result did not reflect it.

“We played a good match, a very good match,” he added. “The result always matters, of course, but the performance showed clear progress.”

The conversation then turned to David’s missed penalty, but Spalletti was quick to shut down any criticism or debate over responsibility from the spot.

“David is a penalty taker and he takes them very well,” Spalletti said. “He made the right decision to go down the middle, he just didn’t lift the ball enough.”

While acknowledging the frustration, Spalletti urged Juventus to move on quickly, stressing that continued performances of this level will bring results as they prepare for a demanding run of fixtures ahead.