Matthijs de Ligt was not happy. The Juventus defender had, by common consent, been one of the best players on the pitch against Villarreal in their Champions League last- 16 game. His recent form had been outstanding. A 1-1 draw put Juventus in a strong position ahead of Wednesday’s second leg. But as he left the field, De Ligt was still thinking about the Villarreal goal. Replaying the cross from Étienne Capoue, the run from Dani Parejo, the decision to step up instead of hold the line. Furious with himself.
He’s still thinking about it almost a month later, which gives you an idea of the Dutchman’s mindset. “I always want to be the most critical about myself,” he says over a virtual call from Turin. “I know exactly when I did something wrong. To grow, sometimes you have to accept you made the wrong decisions. And yeah, in that situation I could have done better.”
