"The slap in the face we needed"

Juventus lost in Serie B for the first time in the club's history yesterday, dropping all three points away to Mantova. A Robert Kovac own goal in the 52nd minute was the least of the club's problems. Keeper Gianluigi Buffon was replaced in the 79th minute after back problem forced him off.

Even without a host of first-teamers, Didier Deschamps has refused to use the injury crisis as an excuse for their historic defeat at the Stadio Martelli. He commented after the match:

Mantova made us suffer and, although we had chances in the second half, they had more hunger and belief. They showed more aggression than us and when we don't match the opposition on a physical level we are obviously going to encounter difficulties. Taking on Mantova at this stadium is certainly not an easy task, and unfortunately we arrived here without a number of players. We have to accept the defeat and react well on Tuesday when we play Cesena at home. This defeat is the slap in the face we needed to wake us up. There is always a risk of losing momentum over the break. These are not excuses, though, as at times it's good to take a rest. We lacked the right spirit today. I hope this can act as a warning ahead of the Cesena game and perhaps we'll have [Raffaele] Palladino back for that test.

Juve currently find themselves three points off the pace with a game in hand. Despite this setback, if the Bianconeri beat Cesena at home on Tuesday, they’ll catch Napoli at the top of the table. However, the Rimini v. Arezzo match was postponed yesterday and will be played tomorrow. If Rimini can come out on top, they will go clear regardless of what Dechamps' side do on Tuesday. [CNN, Juventus official site, Channel 4]

-ac