De Rossi Masterminds 2-0 Genoa Victory to Stun Spalletti's Juventus
Genoa secured a 2-0 victory over Juventus at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris on October 28, 2026, marking their third consecutive Serie A home win following recent triumphs against Venezia and Fiorentina. Head coach Daniele De Rossi engineered the tactical display against his former Roma mentor Luciano Spalletti, establishing control before the interval. First-half strikes from Kingsley Ehizibue and Tommaso Baldanzi unpicked the visitors’ defensive structure and proved decisive.
De Rossi Reconfigures Flank Positioning to Target Juventus Defensive Line
Genoa‘s tactical plan relied on functional shifts designed to destabilize the Juventus backline. De Rossi redeployed Baldanzi away from his standard flank position, placing him on the opposite side to isolate defender Jhon Lucumi in high 1v1 defensive scenarios. This movement pulled Juventus out of their central compactness and created wide lanes for late runners during phase transitions.
Daniele De Rossi
coachTo exploit updated refereeing standards in Serie A that permit greater physical tolerance, Genoa abandoned short buildup play from the back. Instead of risking turnovers under intense pressing, Genoa targeted space beyond the Juventus midfield using direct vertical passes. Ehizibue exploited this aerial route early on to open the scoring, while Baldanzi capitalized on direct service into space to double the advantage before halftime.
Juventus struggled to disrupt Genoa’s defensive block when attempting to play through central channels. De Rossi made six rotations to his starting lineup, preserving defensive stamina and forcing the visitors into low-probability crossing options throughout the second half.
Genoa
club“It was a complete performance, because we held out under pressure a lot better than we had done in recent matches,” De Rossi told DAZN Italia. “We evaluated his characteristics, he hadn’t had much space lately and I wanted to play him at all costs. We took him to the other side to where he usually plays, so we could isolate Lucumi in the Juve defence.”