Igor Tudor enjoyed the perfect start to life as Juventus’ head coach, with his quick thinking playing a key role in Kenan Yildiz’s match-winning goal in a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Genoa.
The Bianconeri parted ways with Thiago Motta after consecutive losses to Atalanta and Fiorentina, prompting Tudor to shake things up immediately.
He implemented a three-man defensive setup, opting for Dusan Vlahovic over Randal Kolo Muani. However, Juventus had to cope without Douglas Luiz, Andrea Cambiaso, Arek Milik, Gleison Bremer, and Juan Cabal. Genoa, meanwhile, had their own absentees, including the suspended Aaron Martin and the injured Maxwel Cornet, Junior Messias, Vitinha, Mattia Bani, Honest Ahanor, Hugo Cuenca, and Mario Balotelli.
The Grifone also debuted a special edition kit in tribute to Boca Juniors and handed Jean Onana his first start.
A Tactical Masterstroke from Tudor
Juventus came close to an early breakthrough when Kenan Yildiz’s diving header was heroically cleared off the line by Stefano Sabelli, though the move was later ruled offside due to Vlahovic’s positioning after a strong run from Nico Gonzalez.
Genoa’s Michele Di Gregorio was called into action, plucking a looping volley from Morten Frendrup out of the air.
Frendrup also had another opportunity but failed to generate enough power from Onana’s assist, while Teun Koopmeiners squandered a promising chance by opting against a return pass to Khephren Thuram.
Juventus eventually found the breakthrough thanks to Tudor’s quick thinking. Acting as a ball boy, he facilitated a rapid throw-in by Koopmeiners, which Vlahovic flicked on.
Yildiz seized the moment, driving toward the right by-line and delivering a spectacular finish into the far top corner from an incredibly tight angle with his right foot.
The game took a physical toll, as Federico Gatti had to be substituted after sustaining an ankle knock from Andrea Pinamonti. Shortly after, Vlahovic tested Nicola Leali with a curling left-footed shot, but the Genoa goalkeeper was equal to it.
Genoa nearly found an equalizer after halftime when Pinamonti skillfully held off Lloyd Kelly before volleying Sabelli’s cross just wide of the far post. Juventus responded with attacking pressure, Alan Matturro hastily cleared when Vlahovic flicked on a long throw from Weston McKennie, while Leali made a smart save to deny Pierre Kalulu’s header from a corner.
As the game neared its conclusion, Ruslan Malinovskyi and Lorenzo Venturino tried their luck from distance, and Manuel Locatelli forced another save from Leali with a powerful shot from the edge of the box.
In stoppage time, Renato Veiga had a golden opportunity to equalize but mistimed his header on a Francisco Conceicao cross.
Juventus had a chance to seal the win with the final play of the game, Thuram launched a blistering counterattack from his own half, setting up Tim Weah. However, Weah’s finish lacked power, allowing Leali to make the save.
Despite that late miss, Juventus held firm, ensuring a victorious start for Tudor and a vital three points in their campaign.
