JUVENTUS vs GENOA 1-0 | HIGHLIGHTS | Yildiz Fires Juve Back to Winning Ways | Serie A 2024/25
JUVENTUS vs GENOA
When Igor Tudor stepped onto the Juventus sidelines for his managerial debut against Genoa on that Saturday evening, he had conducted as many training sessions with his new squad as one could count on the fingers of a single hand—a meager tally that left little room for certainty about what the Bianconeri would deliver under his guidance. Fans and analysts alike had harbored some expectations, of course, shaped by the tactical blueprints Tudor had etched during his previous managerial stints at clubs like Udinese, Verona, and Marseille, where his teams often showcased a blend of defensive solidity and rapid transitions. Yet, with Juventus stumbling into the international break on the heels of a dispiriting run under their former manager Thiago Motta, the unpredictability loomed large. The Bianconeri had endured a pair of chastening defeats—first a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Atalanta, then a 3-0 capitulation against Fiorentina—that had exposed a team adrift, lacking cohesion and conviction. With such a backdrop, the kickoff at the Allianz Stadium arrived with more questions than answers, and no one could confidently predict how Tudor’s influence, barely a week old, would manifest against a Genoa side that had been quietly accruing points since their own managerial shift in late November. The anticipation hung heavy, tinged with both hope and trepidation, as Juventus fans braced themselves for what might unfold.
A couple of hours later, as the final whistle echoed through the Turin night, a few truths had crystallized in the wake of Juventus’ 1-0 victory—a result that, while not dazzling, carried a weight of significance far beyond the single goal that decided it. The performance hadn’t always sparkled with aesthetic brilliance; there were moments when the play felt disjointed, the passes wayward, and the attacking rhythm elusive, as if the players were still grappling with the unfamiliar contours of Tudor’s system. Nor had it been a display of relentless effectiveness, with Juventus failing to convert several promising forays into a more comfortable lead. Yet, when measured against the dismal 180 minutes that had marked Thiago Motta’s final act on the Juve bench—those twin humiliations that saw seven goals conceded without reply—this outing stood as a marked improvement. The difference on the scoreboard had arrived midway through the first half, courtesy of a moment of sheer brilliance from Kenan Yildiz, whose flair illuminated an otherwise gritty contest. That solitary strike secured the three points, but what lingered in the minds of onlookers was the transformation in Juventus’ demeanor. A squad that had appeared utterly listless and porous just weeks earlier now exuded a newfound organization, a resilience forged in less than a handful of training sessions under Tudor’s watchful eye. Most strikingly, they had battled with a tenacity that stifled Genoa—a team that had matched Juventus stride for stride in the points tally since late autumn—reducing them to mere scraps and securing a clean sheet, the first since March 3. It was a testament to Tudor’s immediate impact, a flicker of promise amid the rubble of recent weeks.
For Juventus, that win had carried a simplicity that belied its importance: a win was a win, and under the circumstances, it was all that Tudor needed to deliver in his nine-game audition at the helm. The stakes had been heightened by the result earlier that day, when Bologna—the side directly ahead of Juventus in the race for the top four—had notched their own 1-0 victory just an hour before the Turin clash commenced. That outcome had ratcheted up the pressure on Juventus to keep pace, to avoid slipping further behind in a tightly contested Serie A standings. Yet, with the upheaval of the past week still fresh—the abrupt sacking of Motta, the whirlwind appointment of Tudor—the overriding question had been how this team would respond in its first outing under new leadership. The answer arrived in the form of Tudor’s tactical imprint, as he rolled out his favored 3-4-2-1 formation, a setup that bore his hallmarks of structure and adaptability. Players who had languished under Motta, either miscast or sidelined, found themselves repositioned with purpose. Nico Gonzalez, no longer marooned on the left wing, thrived in a role better suited to his strengths. Dusan Vlahovic, inexplicably benched in recent weeks, reclaimed his place in the starting lineup, anchoring the attack. And Kenan Yildiz, restored to a dynamic position on the left behind Vlahovic, repaid the faith with the match-winning goal. The lineup had clicked with a logic that felt refreshing, a stark contrast to the baffling choices that had often left fans muttering, “Why is Motta doing this ... again?” under the previous regime. It wasn’t flawless—old habits died hard, and the passing occasionally faltered, while Lloyd Kelly’s penchant for the erratic persisted—but it made sense, and that alone felt like progress.
Despite the victory, Juventus hadn’t entirely shed the ghosts of Motta’s tenure. At times, the passing had veered into sloppiness, betraying a team still acclimating to a seismic shift in philosophy—from Motta’s possession-heavy approach to Tudor’s emphasis on a three-man backline and directness. The attack, too, had flickered rather than roared, with moments of misalignment hinting at a squad not yet fully synchronized. Lloyd Kelly, ever unpredictable, had contributed his share of nervy moments, a reminder that not all flaws could be ironed out in a matter of days. Yet, these blemishes had been tempered by the context: this was a team in transition, learning a system that demanded different instincts and movements than the one they’d drilled for months. Some missteps were inevitable, even forgivable, as the players adjusted to Tudor’s vision. What mattered more was the intangible shift that had permeated the Allianz Stadium that night—a sense that Juventus, for all their imperfections, were in a better place than they had been during their last home outing, or indeed during that woeful collapse in Florence. The defensive resilience had been the cornerstone, with Genoa limited to a paltry 0.27 expected goals (xG), a statistic that underscored how little they’d threatened Michele Di Gregorio in the Juventus net. The goalkeeper had faced nine shots, five from distance, none truly testing his mettle—a remarkable feat for a back three making its seasonal debut against a side that, while not prolific, had shown flashes of potency earlier in the campaign. It was a foundation to build upon, a sign that Tudor’s principles were taking root.
This hadn’t been the kind of emphatic statement that had heralded Motta’s arrival back in August, when Juventus had swept aside their opponents with a flourish in his debut. That night had brimmed with optimism, a promise of a new era—only for the wheels to come off spectacularly in the months that followed. Tudor’s first bow, by contrast, had been more subdued, a pragmatic triumph rather than a spectacle. But at this juncture, with Juventus languishing outside the Champions League places and the season barreling toward its climax, grand gestures mattered less than results. The objective was clear: win as often as possible over the next two months, claw back the ground lost, and secure a top-four finish. One game had passed under Tudor’s stewardship, and one win had been banked. If that pattern repeated seven or eight more times, the Bianconeri would find themselves back among Europe’s elite next season—a prospect that had seemed distant just weeks ago. The road ahead promised challenges, with Bologna still to come and other rivals lurking, but this victory had offered a foothold, a starting point. It hadn’t been a giant leap forward, not when judged against the lofty standards Juventus historically set, but it was a step in the right direction—a modest yet meaningful departure from the despair of Florence. For a team and a fanbase desperate for stability, that alone had been enough to kindle a cautious optimism as Tudor’s era began to take shape.
