Juventus vs Genoa, final score 2-0: Dominant Juve get back to winning ways

Arturo Vidal opened the scoring from the penalty spot midway through the first half, before a superb solo strike from Carlos Tevez settled the game nine minutes before the break. It’s Gian Piero Gasperini’s first loss since returning to the Genoa bench.

Antonio Conte was under pressure for the first time as Juventus coach, following consecutive defeats to Fiorentina and Real Madrid. In comparison, Gasperini had turned Genoa’s fortunes around after replacing novice Fabio Liverani, picking up four points from his first two games back in charge.

Tevez partnered Fernando Llorente in the Juventus attack, with both Mirko Vucinic and Fabio Quagliarella out injured. Stephan Lichtsteiner was also unavailable for the Bianconeri.

Genoa missed injured pair Mario Alberto Santana and Emanuele Calaio. Francelino Matuzalem was dropped as punishment for being caught drink-driving in the week, while Francesco Lodi was surprisingly dropped, fueling the rumours of a return to former club Catania in January. Luca Antonelli returned to the backline after a long injury layoff.

The Grifone hadn’t won here since February 1991 and were put under the kosh from the kickoff. Llorente glanced an early header wide, before the visitors were grateful for Paul Pogba and his hesitancy to shoot. The Frenchman was in a promising position, but allowed Mattia Perin to block his path then catch a follow up lob. The goalkeeper denied Llorente again, blocking the attacker’s shot with his feet.

Juve upped the ante. On 17 minutes, Vidal hit the top of the crossbar from 25 yards, before Pirlo’s corner was headed a foot over the bar by a towering Giorgio Chiellini.

Midway through the first half, Juve won a disputed penalty. Davide Biondini tripped Kwadwo Asamoah right on the edge of the box. The contact could have been just outside, but the referee awarded the spot kick. Vidal sent Perin the wrong way as he smashed the ball into the top corner.

The home side almost doubled their lead two minutes later. Tevez squared the ball to Pirlo, whose dummy took him past his marker and into the box. The midfielder wanted to walk the ball into the net and the Genoa defence got a vital touch to deflect it wide.

Leonardo Bonucci’s mistake gave Alberto Gilardino a rare sniff on goal after half an hour, but Gianluigi Buffon was alert and ran out to smother the ball. At the other end, Pogba stole the ball from Biondini in the area and flashed a shot wide of the far post.

Juve’s second goal did come on 36 minutes. Asamoah picked out Tevez in the box and the Argentine finished with a wonderful solo effort. After dribbling past his marker, Tevez shot through Daniele Portanova’s legs with the ball finishing in the far corner of the net.

Portanova prevented a third goal just before half time, cutting out Asamoah’s low cross before it could reach Tevez.

Gasperini rung the changes during the break and surprisingly replaced Gilardino. Perin thwarted Juventus with a smart double save on 52 minutes. After saving from Tevez, the shotstopper quickly got back up to tip Llorente’s follow up over.

Tevez continued to be a menace going forward. He disguised a pass to play Vidal in, but the Chilean’s shot was weak and straight at Perin. Later in the game, Luca Antonini stepped in to stop Tevez from pulling the trigger in the box. Llorente fired over from the edge of the area in his final contribution. The Spaniard was given a round of applause for his afternoon’s efforts when he was replaced by Sebastian Giovinco. Shortly after, Pirlo threaded through for Tevez, but a heavy first touch enabled Perin to smother the ball at the Argentine’s feet.

Juraj Kucka struck a late free kick against the Juventus wall, and Ioannis Fetfatzidis sent a header over the bar in stoppage time. That was as close as Genoa got in a largely one sided game.

Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Isla, Vidal, (Padoin 87) Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; (De Ceglie 73) Tevez, Llorente (Giovinco 75)

Genoa: Perin; Antonini, Marchese, Manfredini, Portanova; Biondini, Antonelli, (Fetfatzidis 46)Vrsaljko, Kucka; Gilardino, (Konate 46) Bertolacci (Centurion 79)

Goals: Vidal pen 23 (J) Tevez 36 (J)