Luciano Spalletti has impressed results wise since taking over the mantle from axed Juventus head coach Igor Tudor. Back-to-back wins over Serie A highflying rivals Bologna and AS Roma are no mean feat, especially considering that the lightweight squad he inherited has been badly hit by injuries.
Having fended off Bologna last weekend, Saturday night's showdown in Turin against Roma was always going to be a fiercely fought contest, with few goals.
Yet the Bianconeri came through this latest test with a deserved 2-1 victory to sit just a single point behind fourth-placed Roma. Goals from Francisco Conceicao and Lois Openda helped pick up maximum points with Tommaso Baldanzi's 75th-minute strike, courtesy of Edon Zhegrova's defensive error, left the result on a knife-edge.
Spalletti admitted at the post-match press conference: "In the first half we struggled a bit with our opponents' pace. But in the second half we did better, we were more in the game and we also had the chance to create some important chances.
"When you play against top-level teams that are well balanced, if you don't have the defensive cover that [Kenan] Yildiz and Conceicao provided, it's very difficult.
"Winning while learning something new is a double leap in knowledge. It's victories that give you confidence and teach you something."
The 66-year-old tactician spoke to Sky Sport Italia after the final whistle: "We pushed to the very end, and even when conceding that late goal, the team wanted more. Now we will keep working and hopefully try to claw back some more lost ground [in the Serie A table]."
The top three teams - AC Milan, Inter Milan and Napoli - were involved in the lucrative Supercoppa Italiana that was played in Saudi Arabia, so their league fixtures were rescheduled. However, they have a healthy lead over Roma, fifth-placed Juventus and Bologna.
Spalletti tactics see off Roma
Spalletti added: "Roma are a side who will keep churning and churning ... they switch from side to side, so if we don’t manage to funnel them in one direction.
“ We also didn’t make the most of the counter-attacks that opened up. Their constant pressure, it wears you down, and you don’t have the energy needed to go on the counter. Even if they weren’t all that dangerous, their tempo, consistency, solidity, all that caused us problems in the first half.
“A football match is like an empty box, you can’t just fill it with your own qualities, you’ve got to also put in some of the uncomfortable things you don’t enjoy doing.
“For example, in the second half Yildiz dropped back and covered that flank. His opponents know how good he is, but I don’t think he yet realises how good he is. He does the work that he needs to do.
“When you are facing a team like Roma who are balanced and aggressive, who swarm at you with the third defender, the wing-back and another, if you don’t have Yildiz and Conceicao helping the defence, then they will break through.
Zhegrova in Juve's bad books
Spalletti fumed about summer signing Zhegrova's performance against Roma: "Zhegrova is a player who at this moment cannot do that defensive work. If you can get him running at opponents going forward, he can be deadly.
"So I have to keep the ball in a position where he only has to do that. If I cannot, then we become vulnerable. I don’t believe Zhegrova will ever be able to defend solidly, those aren’t his characteristics.
"When he has to defend, he becomes liquid. He can run back into position, but sometimes you’ve got to cling on to your opponent, to make it a physical duel. It’s not his style.”
Juventus have much easier Serie A games, at least on paper, before they tackle their last two Champions League phase games next month against Portuguese giants Benfica and Paul Pogba's AC Monaco. Spalletti may well have some new faces to bolster his squad, to help make Juve a highly competitive side one more.