Juventus Will Rely on Yildiz's Consistency Against Genoa

GENOA, SATURDAY — Juventus welcomes the 2025-2026 season with a squad that is not yet complete according to Coach Igor Tudor. Nevertheless, "The Old Lady" has Kenan Yildiz, who has turned doubts into optimism for competing at the top of the Italian League.

Tuttosport reports that Tudor met with Juve officials, including General Director Damie Comolli, earlier this week to discuss transfers for the remainder of the summer transfer window, which ends on Monday (September 1, 2025). Tudor is demanding squad strength to compete in all three competitions this season: Serie A, the Champions League, and the Coppa Italia.

Tudor desires strengthening in the center forward, wing back/wing midfielder, and central midfielder sectors. Specifically for the forward position, Juve is getting closer to reaching an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain to recruit Randal Kolo Muani.

The borrowing scheme with a purchase obligation for the next season has become Juventus' transfer strategy for Muani. The French striker has scored 10 goals in 22 games with Juventus in the second half of the 2024-2025 season.

In the right-back/wing-back position, Juve is finalizing the transfer of right wing-back Edon Zhegrova from Lille. As for the central midfielder position, Juve's main target is Brighton & Hove Albion player Matt O’Riley.

Despite the squad's condition still requiring additional personnel, Juve, along with Tudor, was able to start the season's competition well by defeating Parma 2-0 last week. This inaugural victory was driven by the impressive performance of the gem and new icon, Kenan Yildiz.

The Turkish national team player became the architect for the goals of Jonathan David and Dusan Vlahovic. The two assists mark Yildiz's role as increasingly important for the Old Lady this season. He appears to be more comfortable wearing the iconic number 10 jersey at Juve.

Yildiz's performance will be crucial for Juve as they embark on their first away game in the 2025-2026 competition campaign. Juve will visit Genoa's home ground, Luigi Ferraris Stadium, to play the second week of the Italian League on Sunday (31/8/2025) at 23:30 WIB.

Yildiz admitted he's starting to click with David in Juve's attack. He hopes his connection with his new teammate will help Juve maintain consistency this season.

"We must have the mentality to achieve positive results match by match. We do not need to look too far to discuss specific targets because the competition has just begun," said Yildiz as quoted on the club's website, Saturday (30/8/2025).

In the 3-4-2-1 formation directed by Tudor, Yildiz has the freedom to play behind the lone striker, David. They complement each other to move freely and create attacks together with Francisco Conceicao. The skill of Yildiz and Conceicao in outmaneuvering opponents in one-on-one duels is key for Juve to open up tight defensive spaces of the opponents.

Tudor stated that the role of players on the flanks of the playing area is crucial for providing goals for his team. He mentioned that when facing Parma, the game improved in the second half after changes were made to the play on the wings.

"We distributed the ball more quickly on the wings, which helped the team win. The first few games were naturally difficult. However, I'm confident we'll improve with each match," Tudor said, as quoted by Tuttosport.

In addition to the front line, Tudor also emphasized the importance of balance in defense. The return of center-back Gleison Bremer from a serious injury at the beginning of last season has provided a boost to the defense for La Vecchia Signora.

Bremer does not merely present a tactical and uncompromising performance. He is also skilled at leading the command at the heart of the defense to assist his two partners, Federico Gatti and Lloyd Kelly. In fact, even when playing with 10 players against Parma due to Andrea Cambiasso's red card in the 83rd minute, the quality of Juventus' defense remained unshaken.

"My task is to ensure the team does not concede. I feel the difficulty in maintaining the intensity of the game because it has been a long time since I played an official match, but the increase in playing time is restoring my confidence," said Bremer.

A strong defense is key for Juve to maintain their winning streak at the beginning of this season. Although they hold a good record against Genoa with two victories in last season's encounters, Juve has previously experienced a 1-2 defeat to "The Red and Blues," as Genoa is nicknamed, on May 6, 2022, at Luigi Ferraris.

Meanwhile, Genoa began this season with a draw at home against Lecce. Displaying a more dominant attacking performance, the Red and Blue failed to break through Lecce's solid defense. This presents a homework assignment for Genoa's Coach Patrick Vieira to improve the creativity and effectiveness of his team's attack.

Romanian attacking midfielder, Nicolae Stanciu, will continue to be a key player for Vieira in surprising Juve. Young striker on loan from AC Milan, Lorenzo Colombo, has the opportunity to become a mainstay for Genoa in the attacking line.

"I don't think we're underestimated regardless of who we play against. We're a team that works with humility. We're still growing, building confidence and finding the right combination between our lines," Vieira said, as reported by Genova24. (AFP)