In an exciting Serie A encounter, Genoa will face Napoli at Stadio Luigi Ferraris on Saturday. With eight places separating these teams in the league table, both sides will be eager to clinch a victory and improve their standings.
Genoa has had a challenging start to the 2023-24 Serie A season, losing two out of their three opening games.
Despite securing a stunning 1-0 victory against Lazio, they suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat to Fiorentina and a narrow 1-0 loss to Torino. Their task becomes even more daunting as they now face last season’s defending champions, Napoli.
Seeking a giant scalp, Alberto Gilardino’s men will be determined to secure their first home victory since returning to the top flight.
Last season, they lost only one game at the Luigi Ferraris, showcasing their strength on home turf. However, replicating or surpassing that statistic this season seems unlikely.
On the other hand, Napoli started the season impressively with two consecutive victories. Unfortunately, they stumbled against Lazio, suffering a 2-1 defeat despite dominating certain spells of the game.
The likes of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen failed to make a significant impact in that match.
Nevertheless, Rudi Garcia’s side aims to bounce back and continue their winning streak against newly promoted Genoa.
Having defeated Frosinone already, Napoli hopes to close the gap on the league leaders by securing another three points in this late kick-off.
Team News:
Genoa will be without Alessandro Vogliacco and Alan Matturro until the end of September. However, Mateo Retegui, who scored the winning goal against Lazio, is expected to lead the attack for Genoa.
Napoli’s Osimhen, despite drawing a blank in the previous game, remains a key player in their lineup.
Lautaro Martinez and Olivier Giroud currently lead the Capocannoniere race, but Osimhen, fresh from his hat-trick for Nigeria, aims to make an impact for the Azzurri.
Matteo Politano’s involvement in this weekend’s clash is uncertain due to a recent withdrawal during Italy’s match against North Macedonia.
Probable Lineups:
Genoa:
- Martinez;
- Sabelli
- Bani
- Dragusin
- Vasquez
- Strootman
- Badelj
- Frendrup
- Malinovskyi
- Gudmundsson
- Retegui
Napoli:
- Meret
- Di Lorenzo
- Rrahmani
- Jesus
- Olivera
- Anguissa
- Lobotka
- Zielinski
- Raspadori
- Osimhen
- Kvaratskhelia
Prediction:
We predict a 3-1 victory for Napoli. Victor Osimhen is expected to rediscover his scoring touch, helping Napoli return to winning ways after their defeat to Lazio. Meanwhile, Genoa will continue their quest for their first home win since promotion.