Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic stole the headlines in his side’s meeting against Genoa for all the wrong reasons.

The Serbian started the year on a high note, and was one of the most in-form strikers in Europe.

Even when the team’s level declined in February, the 24-year-old was still finding the back of the net.

However, the situation drastically changed by the start of March, beginning with a poor display against Napoli where he couldn’t find the back of the net.

Vlahovic was then suspended for the clash against Atalanta, but he didn’t quite bask in glory upon his return to the pitch yesterday.

The former Fiorentina man wasted a couple of headers before lashing out at the referee in injury time. Despite receiving a first yellow card for dissent, he still didn’t back down, which earned him his marching orders.

However, this had little to do with the referee’s decisions but instead with the player’s state of mind.

Il Corriere dello Sport (via IlBianconero) explains the reasons behind the striker’s untimely outburst.

As the Roman newspaper tells it, frustration was already boiling due to the lack of service. Vlahovic found himself isolated up front for most of the encounter.

Moreover, the source argues that the Serbia international was determined to make up for his wasteful display at the Maradona Stadium. But instead, he couldn’t direct his headers goalward.

And of course, the team’s lackluster results didn’t help brighten the player’s somber mood.

Vlahovic will be serving his second ban of the month when Juventus clash heads with Lazio after the international break, leaving Max Allegri with limited options up front.

Arkadiusz Milik is currently injured, so Moise Kean will  be the lone proper option to lead the attack.