Juventus were held to a 1-1 draw by Sporting on Tuesday, marking their fourth consecutive game without a Champions League victory. However, new manager Luciano Spalletti expressed satisfaction with his side’s determination and insisted that wins will come.

Spalletti took over following the dismissal of Igor Tudor last month, who was sacked after an eight-game winless streak across all competitions. The Italian coach, on a short-term deal to stabilize the struggling club, secured a Serie A victory over Cremonese in his first match but was unable to claim a home win that could have reignited their European campaign.

Juventus, with three points from four group-stage games, fell behind to an early goal from Maximiliano Araujo before Dusan Vlahovic restored parity with a header in the 34th minute.

“I’m pleased with the performance of the team. We showed character, and the players demonstrated their desire to win the game,” said Spalletti, former Italy manager. “If we continue to play like this, we’ll win plenty of matches. The reaction from the team right from the start gave me hope—it seemed the whole stadium understood our approach, which is a very positive sign.”

Midfielder Teun Koopmeiners echoed the sentiment, highlighting the positives while acknowledging areas for improvement. The Dutchman, deployed in a deeper role against Sporting, said he felt more comfortable there.

“I feel much better in this position because I’m not a forward playing with my back to goal, as I did in previous games,” Koopmeiners told Sky Sports Italia. “I’ve discussed this with Spalletti and the club representatives as well.”

Juventus will next face Bodo/Glimt on November 25 in their Champions League campaign.