Spalletti: Juventus lost the one-on-one battles

Juventus lost 2-0 to Genoa at Marassi. Speaking after the match, Luciano Spalletti said his team had lost most of the one-on-one battles and had failed to show the willingness to fight as hard as needed on the pitch.

The head coach had abandoned the two-forward system in the first half. Although he brought it back in the second half, the team had already fallen behind through goals from Kingsley Ehizibue and Tommaso Baldanzi. In the closing stages, Teun Koopmeiners' free kick hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced back into play, giving the home side a brief glimmer of hope, but the chance was not enough to change the score.

Spalletti apologized to the fans. He blamed the team's failure to find the right balance for Baldanzi finding space behind the defense. He admitted that Juventus's own mistakes had contributed to both of Genoa's goals.

The head coach stressed that not enough effort was shown in every area of the pitch and that physical intensity remained low. He said the performance resembled the match lost 3-0 at home to Lazio, and described it as a problem that has persisted throughout the season. He added that, at a time when injuries are putting pressure on the squad, it needs to become clear whether the players can carry that load.