Serie A Preview: Genoa vs Napoli – Team News, Lineups & Prediction | OneFootball

Reigning Serie A champions Napoli continue their feeble title defense away to bottom-half Genoa on Saturday evening. With nine points separating them from table-topping Inter, the Partenopei cannot afford a slip-up at Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

Stranded in Serie A’s lower reaches, Genoa surrendered a five-game unbeaten league run (W2, D3) last weekend, slumping to a goal-glutted 3-2 defeat at Lazio. Despite that setback, Daniele De Rossi’s men are still boasting a comfortable-looking six-point lead over 18th-placed Fiorentina.

However, there’s no room for complacency just yet, especially considering Genoa’s underwhelming win ratio of just 21.74% this season. Though the percentages look slightly better at this stadium, where they’ve won 25% of their Serie A fixtures so far (W3, D4, L5), the Griffins are up against a bogey team here.

Napoli fought back from a halftime deficit to beat Genoa 2-1 in October’s reverse fixture, extending their unbeaten run in this matchup to seven matches (W4, D3). Moreover, Antonio Conte’s charges have netted at least two goals on six of their last seven trips to the Marassi (W5, D1, L1).

Such an impressive scoring record bodes well, as Napoli seek back-to-back league wins for the first time since the beginning of January. Indeed, the visitors eked out a 2-1 home victory against Fiorentina last weekend, bouncing back from an embarrassing 3-0 away loss to Juventus.

Match Preview

Genoa

Despite conceding a 100th-minute penalty after battling back from a two-goal deficit at Lazio last weekend, Genoa might still take the field in high spirits. De Rossi’s charges have won consecutive home games in Serie A while scoring 3+ goals for the first time since September 2020, including a stunning 3-2 comeback against Bologna last time out.

Against this backdrop, the Griffins have failed to find the back of the net in half of their home league outings this season (6/12). In addition, they have lost all four top-flight clashes against current top-eight sides, drawing a blank in three of them, which perhaps best illustrates the size of the task ahead.

Nonetheless, connoisseurs of action-packed football may enjoy this showdown, knowing that a pre-round joint-league high 14 of Genoa’s games have produced over 2.5 goals. Topically, four of the Griffins’ last five league meetings with Napoli have featured both teams on the scoresheet in matches yielding 3+ total goals.

Napoli

Entertainment must be the last thing on Conte’s mind, as the trophy-laden manager stares down the barrel of a rare trophyless season. Already knocked out of the UEFA Champions League, Conte’s best chance of avoiding that ignominy is to lift the Coppa Italia title, something that’s unlikely to quench this thirst for silverware.

Back to winning ways after a three-game winless run in all competitions (D1, L2), Napoli will be desperate to address their travel sickness. Indeed, the visitors have delivered a mixed bag of performance on their Serie A road trips this season (W6, D1, L5). They’ve also won none of their last three competitive away games (D2, L1).

Scoring first would likely set Napoli up for success here, given that they have won all 13 league matches when breaking the deadlock this term. On the contrary, they’ve only rescued one point from losing positions on hostile turf so far (D1, L5), underscoring the importance of a fast start.

Team News

Except for second-string goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist and new signing Tommaso Baldanzi, Genoa boss De Rossi will have the rest of his squad fit for this clash. All eyes will be on resurgent midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi, who has scored in his last two league appearances. However, Lorenzo Colombo remains Genoa’s most genuine attacking threat, with five Serie A goals under his belt this term.

On the other hand, Napoli’s treatment room is far busier. In addition to long-term absentees Kevin De Bruyne, Andre-Frank Anguissa, David Neres, and Billy Gilmour, Conte lost his captain, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, to injury. Romelu Lukaku has returned from a lengthy spell on the sidelines but is more likely to start on the bench, with out-of-form Rasmus Hojlund expected to lead the line.

Genoa vs Napoli Potential Starting Lineups

Genoa (3-5-2): Bijlow; Marcandalli, Ostigard, Vasquez; Norton-Cuffy, Frendrup, Malinovskyi, Ellertsson, Martin; Vitinha, Colombo.

Napoli (3-4-2-1): Meret; Rrahmani, Jesus, Buongiorno; Gutierrez, Lobotka, McTominay, Spinazzola; Vergara, Elmas; Hojlund.

Genoa vs Napoli Prediction

Given their current situation, Genoa would likely settle for a point, but anything other than all three points is likely to end Napoli’s title charge. However, winning at the Marassi could prove easier said than done, as we expect De Rossi and Conte to share the spoils here.