Spalletti Critical of Juventus's Second-Half Performance After Genoa Victory

Despite Juventus securing a 2-0 victory over Genoa in Serie A, coach Luciano Spalletti expressed his dissatisfaction with the team's second-half performance, stating that after several months at the helm in Turin, he remains unsure of what he's truly dealing with. The win on Easter Monday was sealed by first-half goals from Gleison Bremer and Weston McKennie. However, substitute goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio proved crucial by saving a penalty, which Spalletti believes prevented the evening from becoming "very difficult" for the Bianconeri.

Even though the victory brought Juventus within a point of the Serie A top four, Spalletti was clearly frustrated by his players' display in the latter half. He dismissed claims of player fatigue, emphasizing that the squad had been given ample rest leading up to the match. "It wasn't tiredness; we didn't train yesterday or the day before," Spalletti explained. "I gave them time off because they needed to recover. They had two days off, one and a half training sessions, and then a break, so fatigue isn't the issue."

The coach admitted that despite leading Juventus since October, he still finds it challenging to predict his team's consistency 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 had scored the penalty, it would have become a very difficult evening."

Adding to the concerns are injuries to Dusan Vlahovic and goalkeeper Perin. Vlahovic reportedly felt a calf issue during warm-up, while Perin was forced off at halftime with a similar calf problem. "There is concern because they both got hurt; they both felt a muscle strain," Spalletti confirmed. "They will need tests to determine how long it will take for them to return to the pitch."