Spalletti criticises Juventus second-half performance despite 2-0 Genoa win: ‘Impossible’

Luciano Spalletti criticised Juventus’s second-half performance despite picking up a 2-0 victory over Genoa in Serie A on Monday evening, and says that after six or seven months at the helm in Turin, ‘I’m still not sure what I’m dealing with’.

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Juventus claimed a 2-0 victory over Genoa in Serie A on Easter Monday thanks to first-half goals from Gleison Bremer and Weston McKennie, but goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio, brought on at half-time, bailed his teammates out with a penalty save, and Spalletti believes that had the spot-kick gone in, it would have become a ‘very difficult’ evening for the Bianconeri. 

You can see how the action from all of Monday’s Serie A matches unfolded on the Football Italia Liveblog.

Spalletti reacts to Juventus 2-0 Genoa: ‘I’m still not sure what I’m dealing with’ 

Despite moving back within a point of Como and the Serie A top four on Easter Monday, Spalletti was still frustrated by some of the things he saw from his players against Genoa, especially in the second half. 

There were complaints that some of the Juventus squad looked tired, which Spalletti insisted can’t be the case as his players received extra time off in the build-up to Monday’s game. 

“It wasn’t tiredness, we didn’t train yesterday or the day before,” Spalletti told Sky after full-time.

“I left them alone because they needed to recover. They had two days off, a training session and a half and then they took a break, so that’s not the case.” 

Spalletti admitted that despite being in charge of Juventus since the end of October, he still doesn’t always know what he’s going to see from his players on the pitch. 

“Sometimes we have to accept that we aren’t the best versions of ourselves. After six or seven months here, I’m still not sure what I’m dealing with. It’s not possible to have a first half like that and then a second half like this. And if they go ahead and score the penalty, it becomes a very difficult evening.” 

There are also concerns for Dusan Vlahovic, who was meant to come on but felt something go in his calf while warming up, and for goalkeeper Perin, who was forced off at half-time, also with a calf issue. 

“There is concern because they both got hurt, they both felt a muscle go,” Spaleltti confirmed. “We need them to have tests to understand how long it will take to get them back on the pitch.”