Having suffered a tepid midweek Champions League defeat to Benfica, which resulted in boos ringing around the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Motta needed something special to convince supporters.
With the 2-0 European reversal following on from the 2-1 Serie A defeat to Napoli, furious fans took to social media platforms with #MottaOut. This was the first time, since Motta’s summer move from Bologna, that he had been subjected to displeasure from supporters.
The pundits in Italy had been sitting on the fence for some time whether Motta’s tactics were suitable for the Turin giants.
Some woeful displays were swaying them that maybe he was not the right fit, as he produced too many uninspiring draws on top of a stuttering Champions League campaign.
A chance to silence the critics was presented on a plate to Motta with the visit of relegation-threatened Empoli on Sunday, who arrived on a seven-match unbeaten run.
Yet there was more fire in Empoli’s belly than the Bianconeri at the start. They took an early lead through Mattia De Sciglio’s header, unmarked in the box, which showed why Motta needs to strengthen his backline.
De Sciglio netted just twice in seven seasons at Juve, but had no problem in scoring his first goal for Empoli although he respectfully didn’t celebrate his strike.
When ‘keeper Michele Di Gregorio brought down Youssef Maleh it looked like being a bloodbath, but VAR ruled out a penalty for the visitors.
Although in-form Sebastiano Esposito failed to impress, Empoli bossed the majority of the first half that left the Juventus fans subdued at half-time.
Whatever Motta said during his half-time team talk worked wonders. He went from zero to hero thanks to a more positive 45 minutes and his side smashed in four goals, which is a rare sight in Turin.
The last time that Juve bagged four Serie A goals was in their 4-4 thriller at Inter Milan in October. However, there were goals galore in Turin, when Coppa Italia Juve smashed Cagliari 4-0 in December's Coppa Italia last 16 tie.
Paris Saint-Germain loanee Kolo Muani finished with a double, and after Empoli were reduced to 10-men the two substitute strikers Dusan Vlahovic and Francisco Conceicao scored last-gasp goals.
Muani is just the tonic that Motta needs, and a return of three goals in his first two matches bodes well for Juventus this term. He was shifted to the left wing when Serbia striker Vlahovic appeared, and still made an impact.
Vlahovic’s 18-meter thunderbolt was the goal of the game, and maybe signals the start of something special from this season’s top scorer. He had been waiting since mid-December to notch his 13th strike this term.
The 4-1 triumph certainly loosens the noose around Motta’s neck, with ex-Barcelona head coach Xavi apparently on stand-by should things crash and burn.
However, it should not be overlooked that this was only Juventus’ second success during a dreadful nine-game spell, with the other victory the 2-0 win over AC Milan.
A trip to lowly Como, who suffered a 2-0 defeat at Bologna over the weekend, is next on the agenda for Motta’s men with another three points expected on Friday night that would appease the Juventus fans.