Juventus legend Del Piero surprised by Spalletti’s decision on David

Alessandro Del Piero was surprised that Luciano Spalletti didn’t introduce either Jonathan David or Lois Openda as replacements for Dusan Vlahovic in a 1-1 draw against Sporting CP on Tuesday.

The Old Lady was held to a 1-1 Champions League stalemate last night, remaining with three points in four games in the standings.

Vlahovic scored the equaliser for Juventus in the first half, but when he was subbed off at minute 83, the central midfielder Vasilije Adžić took his place on the field.

By doing so, Spalletti also moved Kenan Yildiz into a centre-forward role for a few minutes before David was ultimately introduced at minute 87 with little chance to leave his mark.

Del Piero comments on David, Vlahovic and Juventus’ attack

“I was a bit disappointed by the final 15 minutes. Vlahovic was subbed off, but neither David nor Openda were introduced,” Del Piero told Sky Sport via Ilbianconero.com.

“Spalletti put Yildiz in a more advanced position, but he’s not a No.9, and he decided to strengthen the midfield without involving the players Juventus invested in. This left me perplexed. In this moment, Spalletti is studying the team, but it’s something Juventus have to fix because they struggle to score goals. If you invest so much, you must make the most of it.”

How many points Juventus need to avoid Champions League exit

Juventus will probably need from eight to nine points to qualify for the Champions League playoff, while a direct place in the Round of 16 seems practically impossible.

They have four Champions League games remaining against Bodo/Glimt, Pafos, Benfica and Monaco.