Things are looking grim for Luciano Spalletti at Juventus: everyone is waiting to hear what he has to say
Juventus is in serious trouble on the road against Genoa, with the Bianconeri trailing by two goals midway through the second half against the team coached by Daniele De Rossi, which went into halftime with a two-goal lead and has managed to hold on. Things are looking grim for Luciano Spalletti, who shuffled his starting lineup with a series of substitutions but saw little success: regardless of the final outcome at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium in Genoa, there is great anticipation for his post-match comments.
On the eve of the match, part of the ninth round of Serie A, Juventus was coming off a 2-0 away win against Lecce and was looking for another victory to put a difficult stretch behind them. Spalletti had fielded a 3-5-1-1 formation with Vicario in goal, Gatti, Bremer, and Lucumí on defense, Kalulu and Cambiaso on the flanks, McKennie, Douglas Luiz, and Koopmeiners in midfield, and Alajbegovic playing behind Woltemade. The coach had to deal with a string of injuries: Yildiz, Thuram, Ekhator, Locatelli, Grabara, and Conceição were out, while Celik and Nico Gonzalez were questionable. Kolo Muani, who had scored only once in the league so far—in the away game against Cagliari—was initially slated to start on the bench.
Genoa, for its part, came into the match in high spirits following Sunday’s 1-0 win over Venezia, thanks to a spectacular goal by Ellertsson, which had brought the Rossoblù to 7 points at a critical juncture in the fight for survival. De Rossi opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Bijlow in goal; Ehizibue, Marcandalli, Østigård, and Vásquez in defense; Frendrup and Amorim in midfield; and Baldanzi, Vitinha, and Ellertsson behind Osmajic.
Spalletti’s team’s current form has been the focus of debate for weeks. Zibi Boniek, interviewed by Radio Anch’io, spoke of “a rather compromised situation,” arguing that Juventus is not “among the frontrunners for the Scudetto.” Meanwhile, rumors have been circulating persistently about a possible coaching change involving Antonio Conte, who clarified in an Instagram post that there are currently “no negotiations at an advanced stage.”
The offense remains one of the main issues: Woltemade and Kolo Muani have so far fallen short of expectations, and management is considering a major signing in January. According to Tuttosport, the names being considered include Folarin Balogun and Antonio Raimondo, while Antonio Cabrini has called for the arrival of “a world-class midfielder and a world-class forward.” A loss at the Ferraris would make the need to address the January transfer window even more urgent.
