Genoa’s 2-0 win over Juventus at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris was built on patience and sharp counter-attacks. According to [1], both goals came on the break, from Kingsley Ehizibue and Tommaso Baldanzi, and both arrived in the first half. Juventus, the same report notes, were still without several key players and never found a rhythm.
The result gives Genoa three home wins in a row in Serie A. The run began with a 2-1 win over Fiorentina on 10 October. It continued with a 1-0 victory over Venezia on 25 October and now includes the Juventus result three days later. [2] also lists the three wins, and the club’s own records match. The only league game in that stretch was away at Roma, which Genoa lost 0-2 on 17 October.
The occasion carried extra meaning for Daniele De Rossi. He was coached at Roma by Luciano Spalletti, the man in the opposite dugout, and [3] reported his praise for his former coach before kick-off. Beating a mentor is a small story, but the tactical story matters more: Genoa were organised, direct when they won the ball, and efficient with their chances.
How the goals and the line-up worked
The official line-up, published by [4], had Genoa in a back three. Bijlow was in goal, with Marcandalli, Østigård and Vásquez in front of him. Ehizibue and Ellertsson played as wing-backs, with Frendrup and Amorim in midfield. Baldanzi and Vitinha supported Milutin Osmajić, who led the line.
That shape suited a counter-attacking plan. Juventus had Randal Kolo Muani as their only striker and a long injury list that included Kenan Yildiz, Khéphren Thuram, Manuel Locatelli and Kamil Grabara. Genoa could therefore sit compactly and release their attackers when possession turned over. The report says both goals came that way.
Baldanzi’s goal is the individual story. [1] noted he had struggled for regular playing time, and he scored Genoa’s second after being moved to the opposite flank. A positional tweak that produces a goal is the kind of detail a coach will want to keep in mind when he picks the next team.
The defensive side matters too. Genoa kept a clean sheet against a side with plenty of possession but little attacking depth. That follows the 1-0 against Venezia, so Genoa have conceded nothing in their last two home games and have scored three.
Team news and rotation for Lecce
The most useful line from De Rossi’s post-match comments is about rotation. He said he made five or six changes against Juventus and will make more for the match at Lecce, according to [2]. That is a clear signal the XI will not simply repeat. With a short turnaround between games, fresh legs in the wing-back and attacking roles look likely.
There is some good fitness news. Samuel Wiafe has shaken off a muscular issue and is available, as reported by [1]. That adds an option for a squad that is being asked to rotate.
The absentees are known. Lorenzo Venturino is out after patellar tendon surgery, and the pre-match report also lists Elias Havel and Cody Drameh as unavailable. De Rossi’s room for manoeuvre is therefore real but limited. Osmajić and Vitinha both started up front against Juventus, and whether either keeps his place is one of the open questions.
Lecce will not be an easy test. Juventus won 2-0 there on Sunday, their first league win in 35 days, so Lecce arrive having been beaten but at home. Genoa will have to prove they can win away from Marassi, where they have lost their last two league trips, to Roma and to Parma on 20 September.
What it means
The table shows why the win matters. Genoa are 13th in Serie A with 10 points from 9 games, a record of 3 wins, 1 draw and 5 defeats. They have scored 8 and conceded 13, a goal difference of -5. Ten points is a modest haul, but all three of the wins have come in the last three weeks, so the direction is positive.
Form tells a split story. Over the last five league games Genoa have won three and lost two, and the defeats were both away, 1-2 at Parma and 0-2 at Roma. At home they have beaten Fiorentina, Venezia and Juventus without much drama. The numbers say Genoa are a different side at Marassi, and the next question is whether De Rossi’s organisation travels.
The next fixture is Lecce away on 1 November. It asks Genoa to turn a home-built run into a road result, with a rotated line-up. The site’s forecast for the match locks 24 hours before kick-off, so no prediction is published yet. The factors to watch are how the changes affect balance and whether the counter-attacking approach works when Genoa have less control of the setting. A positive result would lift them clear of the lower part of the table; another away defeat would put the home-only pattern under real scrutiny.
Sources
- Football Italia: Serie A | Genoa 2-0 Juventus: Sluggish Old Lady collapse at Marassi football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: De Rossi joy at beating mentor Spalletti: ‘Genoa showed heart and spirit’ football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: De Rossi ‘inspired’ by Spalletti: ‘Best coach I had’ football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Serie A official line-ups: Genoa vs. Juventus football-italia.net ↩
