Spalletti's patched up Juventus face a Genoa side with nothing to lose
Genoa host Juventus at the Luigi Ferraris on 28 October 2026 in a Serie A matchweek 9 fixture that matters very differently to each side. Genoa are 16th with seven points from eight games, sitting just above the drop zone after five defeats, while Juventus are seventh on 14 points. A second defeat in three games would leave Spalletti under serious pressure before the international break, which gives this trip to Genoa a sharper edge than the league positions alone suggest. There is no verified head to head record between De Rossi and Spalletti as managers, so this comes down less to tactical chess between coaches and more to which battered squad holds together for 90 minutes.
Genoa's last five reads DLWLW, the highlight a narrow 1-0 home win over Venezia on 25 October courtesy of an Ellertsson goal. Juventus go into this on LWDLW form, having bounced back with a 2-0 away win at Lecce that same weekend, though the Lazio result is still fresh enough to sting.
De Rossi took over at Genoa in November 2025 and has been dealing with a battered squad ever since, with Sow, Havel, Venturino and Ehizibue all currently unavailable and Wiafe a doubt with an adductor strain. Juventus's injury list is just as alarming: Celik, Gonzalez, Conceicao, Yildiz, Thuram, Grabara and Locatelli are all out, which between the two squads amounts to something close to an entire starting eleven.
Genoa set up in a 3-4-2-1 built around defensive compactness, with Osmajic leading the line and El Shaarawy operating behind him. Traore presses ahead of a back three anchored by Vasquez and De Rossi will lean on quick transitions and set pieces to do whatever damage he can. Juventus have been building toward a 3-5-2 under Spalletti, with Bremer organising from the back and Douglas Luiz running the midfield. Cambiaso offers flexibility across the right side and his movement creates the kind of overloads that Genoa's back three will struggle to manage across 90 minutes. The sharpest loss for Spalletti is Thuram and Locatelli together: without them, Juventus lose their ability to press high without becoming disorganised and to recycle possession quickly when things break down, which could leave Genoa with space on the counter if the away side go behind and begin to chase. The individual battles that will shape the game are Osmajic against Bremer's backline, El Shaarawy probing for gaps behind the Juventus wing backs and Traore versus Douglas Luiz in the middle of the park.
Juventus have historically dominated this fixture, most recently winning 2-0 in Serie A in April 2026 and Genoa's compact setup and set piece organisation give them their most likely path to a goal, particularly if the away side come out slowly. Spalletti is unlikely to accept a draw given where Juventus sit in the table, though that desperation to win cuts both ways: the more Juventus push, the more Osmajic will fancy his chances in behind a midfield that is already stretched. Losing Thuram and Locatelli in central midfield is the real concern for the away side going into the second half.
The call here is 1-3 to Juventus. Genoa will sit deep and look to exploit any set piece or counter attacking moment that Juventus's reshuffled midfield leaves open and they may well get their goal that way. But Juventus should grow into the game as Douglas Luiz finds more space in the second half and Cambiaso's flexibility across the right should help build overloads that Genoa cannot sustain for 90 minutes. As the home side tires, Juventus should convert enough of the chances their build up play creates to win 3-1.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
