01 November 1897
Genoa boss Gian Piero Gasperini claims Juventus still remain the division’s team to beat, believing their current league position to be an inaccurate reflection of their overall performances so far.
The 57-year-old coach, who masterminded the Rossoblu to a 1-0 success in last season’s meeting at the Luigi Ferraris, says an intense and organised display will be required from his men if history is to repeat itself in Liguria tomorrow afternoon.
Speaking to the media ahead of the game, Gasperini said: “We won’t be thinking about their start, nor last year’s game. Juventus are a great side and remain the team to beat. They’ve won the last four Scudetto titles. When you play them you need to show intensity, defend well and be organised.”
“Juventus have got off to a bad start in the league, but they haven’t always deserved to be on the losing side. A great deal has changed, with some high profile departures, yet they have also been replaced by equally strong players.”
Unbeaten in their last six home Serie A encounters, the Rossoblu, who sit in 11th position, head into the game hampered by a long injury list, with Gasperini confirming the game will come too soon for Mattia Perin, Ezequiel Munoz and Cristian Ansaldi.
But despite the reduced ranks, the former Juventus Primavera coach remains focused on the bigger picture and emphasised his overall satisfaction with the way his charges have commenced their campaign.
He concluded: “Perin, Munoz and Ansaldi are still unavailable. We’ve unfortunately had long-term injuries and we haven’t had any strikers off the treatment table, losing Costa on Sunday.
“I’ve been happy with what I’ve seen over the past three weeks, aside from the last few minutes in Florence. We can only get better.”
