Struggling Genoa will be looking to snap a five-game winless streak on Thursday against the in-form Fiorentina. While Genoa have earned just one point from their last five, Fiorentina make the trip to Genoa with a perfect record in the last five matches and a huge score of 19 goals in that span.
Match Preview:
Currently third from bottom, their return to Serie A has been nothing short of tough, with last weekend’s 3-0 loss to Lazio just further emphasizing how difficult things have been. Having scored only seven goals in the league to date, one of the key problems has been the offense of the team as they have failed to repeat the mid-table success of last season.
To boost their attack, Genoa signed veteran striker Mario Balotelli in the recent transfer window, with the player returning to Serie A after a four-year absence. Yet to get into full fitness, Balotelli’s arrival is expected to give support to its top scorer Andrea Pinamonti. However, that record in the recent past against Fiorentina is a cause for concern as it has secured just one victory in the last 13 meetings.
On the other hand, Fiorentina have been in song lately as they have managed five straight wins across all competition. Their last result that saw them win 5-1 against Roma saw Moise Kean score a brace while Edoardo Bove was excellent. This now throws Fiorentina just two points behind second-placed Inter Milan.
With head coach Raffaele Palladino recently making tactical changes, things have recently started to look good for Fiorentina. Fiorentina are in good recent away form with just one loss in their last six away league matches and back-to-back clean sheets in their last two.
Form Guide:
Genoa (Serie A): DLLLDL
Genoa (All Competitions): LLLLDL
Fiorentina (Serie A): LWDWWW
Fiorentina (All Competitions): DWWWWW
Team News:
Genoa are facing an injury crisis that gave rise to the signing of Balotelli out of the transfer window. First-string goalkeepers Pierluigi Gollini, Junior Messias, Mattia Bani, Ruslan Malinovskyi, and Vitinha are injured, while Koni De Winter and Caleb Ekuban will also not play on Thursday. Captain Milan Badelj could, however return to the starting lineup.
In the absence of fully fit Balotelli, Andrea Pinamonti will continue to lead the Genoa attack after scoring against Fiorentina among other Serie A teams.
Fiorentina
Albert Gudmundsson, a former striker of Genoa, along with Rolando Mandragora and Marin Pongracic, is a victim of an injury for Fiorentina. Defender Pietro Comuzzo may be absent after he picked an ankle injury against Roma. Considering their schedule- the next game in Turin and another one in Cyprus- Fiorentina could rotate.
Predicted Lineups:
Genoa: Leali; Sabelli, Vogliacco, Vasquez, Matturro; Zanoli, Badelj, Frendrup, Martin; Miretti; Pinamonti
Fiorentina: De Gea; Dodo, Martinez Quarta, Ranieri, Gosens; Adli, Richardson; Colpani, Beltran, Bove; Kean
Prediction:
Recent dominance means this is Fiorentina’s to lose. The likely score will be 3-1.
