De Rossi outthinks mentor Spalletti as Genoa's shape change undoes Juventus
Genoa beat Juventus 2-0 at Luigi Ferraris, with Daniele De Rossi crediting a positional switch for Tommaso Baldanzi and defensive resolve for victory over his former coach Luciano Spalletti.
Daniele De Rossi described the win over Juventus as personally significant, saying it 'means a lot' to have beaten Luciano Spalletti, the coach who worked with him during his playing days at Roma. Genoa won 2-0 at Stadio Luigi Ferraris on Tuesday, with Kingsley Ehizibue and Tommaso Baldanzi scoring in the first half, according to Football Italia.
The two coaches appeared together for a live pre-match interview, a rare arrangement that underlined the relationship built when De Rossi played under Spalletti at Roma. That rapport did not stop De Rossi from setting up a team that nullified his former mentor's Juventus for long spells.
Why moving Baldanzi changed the picture
De Rossi's most concrete tactical explanation concerned Baldanzi, who had been short of game time before this match. The coach said Genoa 'took him to the other side to where he usually plays, so we could isolate Lucumi in the Juve defence,' shifting the forward away from his customary side to create a direct one-on-one against a specific opponent.
That is a deliberate use of isolation, putting an attacker in space against a single defender rather than feeding him into a crowded zone, and it paid off immediately: Baldanzi scored Genoa's second goal having been restored to the side specifically for his attributes, as De Rossi put it, because 'he was in good shape.'
The switch also reflects a broader point about how De Rossi uses personnel. Rather than keeping a settled XI, he made five or six changes for this fixture and signalled more are coming for the trip to face Lecce, treating squad rotation as a tool to match specific opponents rather than a reaction to fatigue alone.
Reading the space differently under new refereeing standards
De Rossi offered a wider explanation for Genoa's attacking approach, tying it to how matches are now officiated. He argued that because 'the referees allow more challenges and don't give as many fouls, playing the ball to feet becomes counter-productive, so we've got to get into those spaces instead.'
That is a significant tactical adjustment rather than an offhand comment. If contact that once drew a foul is now allowed to continue, a team that builds through players receiving to feet in congested areas risks losing possession in dangerous zones without the safety net of a free-kick. De Rossi's alternative is to prioritise movement into open space over short combinations under an opponent's nose, which also explains why isolating Baldanzi against Lucumi mattered: it created exactly the kind of space the new refereeing climate rewards.
The defensive side that made the plan work
None of that attacking craft would have counted for much without Genoa's work without the ball. De Rossi was explicit that the performance stood out for its balance, saying his side 'held out under pressure a lot better than we had done in recent matches' in what he called 'a pretty difficult fixture.'
That suggests a side capable of dropping into a compact low block and absorbing Juventus's spells of possession, rather than chasing the game open and exposing the space behind a higher defensive line. Holding firm defensively is what allowed the two early goals to stand up for the full ninety minutes against a Juventus team managed by one of Serie A's more experienced coaches.
De Rossi was careful to credit the squad over his own ideas, stating plainly that 'the difference this evening was made by the players,' even while reflecting on his own coaching path, which he said began forming in his mind as early as 'age of 25 or 26.' He added that beating coaches of the calibre of Spalletti and Gian Piero Gasperini carries weight for him personally as he builds his own reputation in the dugout.
The result extends Genoa's run to three consecutive home wins, following victories over Venezia and Fiorentina, and gives De Rossi a platform heading into the trip to Lecce, where he has already signalled further changes to the starting line-up.