This archive report was first published on 30 September 2021.
Chelsea's Champions League title defense took a hit on Wednesday as they suffered a 1-0 loss to Juventus in Turin, their first group-stage defeat since September 2019.
Thomas Tuchel's side dominated possession, with 73% of the ball, but were unable to break down Juventus' deep defense, which was perfect according to coach Massimiliano Allegri.
"We had a very good training session yesterday," Tuchel said. "We were absolutely sharp and looked very fresh and very hungry, ready for bounce back (from defeat to Manchester City on Saturday).
"I think it's very difficult to find rhythm against a team that defends so deep, it was completely the other way around in the Manchester City game.
"The big difference was that we gave big mistakes away that cost us confidence. Early today I could tell it was different. We were not as fresh mentally as we were in training yesterday. I don't know why."
Chelsea's struggles were compounded by their lack of attacking threat, with just one shot on target all match - Romelu Lukaku's tame early effort.
Despite the loss, Tuchel insisted he is not worried by his team's lack of attacking threat, saying "Maybe it is a shooting problem, because if you don’t shoot then you don’t score. But if you play against a team that sit so deep like today it is hard to take shots. We will learn."
For Juventus, the win marked their third in a row in all competitions, and moved them onto six points at the top of Champions League Group H.
"Usually sailors always find the way out when they are in a storm," Allegri said, describing his side's recovery from a poor start to the season in recent weeks.
