Former coach Fabio Capello expressed strong criticism of Juventus’ first-half display, despite their 2-0 victory over Pafos, stating, “They had luck on their side.”
On Wednesday, Juventus claimed their second win in the 2025-26 Champions League by defeating the Cypriot team Pafos 2-0 in Turin.
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Goals from Weston McKennie and Jonathan David in the second half secured the win for the Bianconeri, but they were fortunate to enter halftime without conceding a goal.
Capello: Juventus Were Fortunate in Their 2-0 Victory Over Pafos
Fabio Capello (Photo by Jurij Kodrun/Getty Images)
“Juve won and that’s positive, but this is definitely not the Juventus we remember. They looked flat,” Capello stated to Sky Sport Italia through Corriere dello Sport.
“The opposition had several opportunities in the first half, and Juventus was fortunate. They had four significant chances against them. In the second half, after some substitutions, Juventus managed to secure a win, but I must reiterate, I wasn’t impressed with their first-half performance.”
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Spalletti Responds to Juventus’ 2-0 Victory Over Pafos
NAPLES, ITALY – DECEMBER 07: Luciano Spalletti, Head Coach of Juventus, reacts during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Juventus FC at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on December 07, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti appeared to concur with Capello’s assessment, acknowledging that he witnessed “embarrassing things” from his players in the first half.
Currently, Juventus holds the 17th position in the Champions League standings with nine points from six matches. They are set to face Benfica and Monaco in their final two group stage matches.
Both fixtures will take place in January 2026, starting with a home game against Benfica on the 21st, followed by an away match at Monaco on the 28th.