Serie A Preview: Inter vs Genoa – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

Saturday’s Serie A action closes out at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza as title-bidding Inter take on mid-table Genoa in a must-win clash. Trailing pacesetters Napoli by two points, the hosts can’t afford a mistake amid a rotten patch.

Francisco Conceicao’s second-half strike condemned Inter to a frustrating 1-0 defeat in last weekend’s Derby d’Italia clash against bitter rivals Juventus. After only losing one of their first 22 Serie A outings (W15, D6), Simone Inzaghi’s men have lost two of their last three, including a 3-0 demolition at Fiorentina a fortnight ago.

With high-profile contests against Lazio and Napoli in the Coppa Italia and Serie A, respectively, on the horizon, Inter must claim three points here to bolster their spirits ahead of a critical juncture. Anything less would likely compromise their chances of becoming the first Scudetto holders in five years to defend their title.

Visiting Genoa could throw a spanner in the works as they head into proceedings in a buoyant mood after toppling relegation-threatened Venezia 2-0 on Monday. Andrea Pinamonti and Maxwel Cornet netted beyond the 80th minute at Stadio Luigi Ferraris to end Genoa’s two-game winless league run (D1, L1).

That victory steered Patrick Vieira’s side ten points away from the bottom three, putting Genoa only six points adrift of 10th-placed Udinese pre-round. Therefore, a first top-half finish in Serie A since 2014/15 has become a distinct possibility for the Griffins.

Match Preview

Inter

Keen to enact revenge on Genoa for a dramatic 2-2 draw in August’s reverse fixture at Luigi Ferraris, Inter can take confidence from a 2-1 win against Fiorentina in their last home league outing. That victory forms part of the home team’s patchy seven-game form in Serie A (W3, D2, L2).

However, Genoa’s visit should be ‘another day in the office’ for Inter, especially considering their formidable head-to-head record since February 2018 (W8, D3). Furthermore, before a 2-1 win in this corresponding fixture last season, they had beaten this opposition ‘to nil’ in seven previous meetings at the San Siro.

Four of those seven victories saw Inter score 4+ goals, a feat they’ve achieved five times in the first 25 Serie A rounds, most recently in a 4-0 rout of Lecce in late January. Moreover, they’ve been outstanding at home, winning eight of their ten previous matches across all competitions (D1, L1), including the last three on the spin.

Genoa

After leaving it late to beat Venezia, Genoa could post back-to-back league triumphs for the first time this season. They last achieved that milestone in January 2024, highlighting the team’s remarkable inconsistency.

That win against Eusebio Di Francesco’s side was a rare occasion to see Genoa score 2+ goals in Serie A action this season. Indeed, Vieira’s charges have averaged under a goal per game, suggesting Inter’s backline could have a field day.

Genoa encouragingly scored once on their last three league travels despite failing to win each (D1, L2). Particularly dominant after the halftime interval, the visitors have tallied 12 second-half ‘wins’ this term, with only two teams bettering that haul pre-round.

Team News

First-choice Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer underwent toe surgery and will be on the sidelines, meaning Josep Martinez is in line for his Serie A debut in the Nerazzurri shirt. With Marcus Thuram yet to regain full fitness, Inzaghi may turn to Joaquin Correa to partner up with Lautaro Martinez.

On the other hand, Genoa will take this trip without captain Milan Badelj and versatile forward Vitinha. Honest Ahanor and Morten Thorsby are also on the sidelines as Cornet bids for promotion off the bench after netting his first Serie A goal earlier this week.

Inter vs Genoa Potential Starting Line-ups

Inter (3-5-2): J. Martinez; Pavard, De Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Zielinski, Dimarco; Correa, L. Martinez.

Genoa (4-2-3-1): Leali; De Winter, Bani, Vasquez, Martin; Frendrup, Masini; Cornet, Messias, Miretti; Pinamonti.

Inter vs Genoa Prediction

Only victory will settle fans’ nerves after Inter won one of their last four Serie A games. Given their long-standing dominance in this fixture, it’s hard to expect anything else, but the visitors have proved capable of causing upsets.

Vieira inspired Genoa to a 0-0 draw against Milan on this ground in mid-December. Yet, replicating that feat could be beyond them against the division’s best team.