Following last week's heroics in Rome, Genoa travel to Turin on Sunday, when they will seek successive Serie A wins at the expense of Torino.

While their hosts remain without a league victory following a mauling in Milan, the Grifone got off the mark by beating Lazio in their first away fixture since promotion.

Match preview

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Although a Perr Schuurs goal cancelled out Milan's opener last Saturday, Torino then conceded twice more before the break at San Siro and went on to lose 4-1 without managing another shot on target, as they suffered a first loss of the 2023-24 season.

After failing to break down promoted Cagliari on Serie A's opening day, Toro's only win from their first three fixtures has come at home to Feralpisalo in the Coppa Italia first round.

They posted a second straight top-10 finish in June but fell far short of the European places due to a lack of precision in the opposition area, and even last term's top scorer Antonio Sanabria has fired blanks so far this season.

The arrival of such an experienced campaigner as Duvan Zapata - who has just joined from Atalanta BC - should ease some of the burden on the Granata's Paraguayan striker, who is set to miss out through injury this weekend.

Head coach Ivan Juric now welcomes his former club to Turin, having made 86 Serie A appearances for Genoa - many under mentor and current Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini - and overseen 51 league games as their manager.

Recording only nine wins during his time in charge at Marassi did not bode well for the Croatian coach's prospects, but he has since gone from strength to strength at Verona and now Torino, where the pressure is on to register a first league win before international football intervenes.

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As they hurtled towards the Serie A trapdoor in the spring of 2022, one of Genoa's last acts of defiance was a 1-0 win over Torino.

That success halted a streak of nine league games without victory over the Granata - a run also featuring seven defeats - and having returned to the top flight as Serie B runners-up last season they now aim to claim three more points from Toro on Sunday evening.

While their top-flight comeback was somewhat soured by being beaten heavily at home to Fiorentina, last week summer signing Mateo Retegui struck the only goal at Stadio Olimpico as Genoa held on bravely for a 1-0 win over Lazio.

Should they now go on to turn over Torino, the Grifone would win their first two away games of a Serie A season for the first time in their long history. Indeed, it has been nine years since they even went unbeaten in their opening pair of away fixtures, at a time when Gasperini was still at the helm.

Current coach Alberto Gilardino may well be preparing his troops for a backs-to-the-wall campaign in the months ahead, as Genoa's average of 31% possession in the first two matchdays was the lowest throughout the Italian top flight.

They have also recorded the fewest touches in the opposition area (19) and made the most defensive clearances (67), but it is points not possession that Gilardino will be seeking when his Rossoblu boys stride out in Turin this weekend.

Team News

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As Antonio Sanabria has been ruled out of action by a thigh injury, Torino could field ex-Genoa forward Pietro Pellegri up front on Sunday, although Duvan Zapata may be thrown straight into the starting XI.

In addition, Demba Seck remains sidelined by a shoulder problem and Kofi Djidji is struggling with a muscular issue.

Genoa, meanwhile, will travel to Turin without Junior Messias due to a muscular injury, while long-term absentee Marko Pajac is also unavailable.

After making his first start since returning to Italy on loan from Marseille, Ruslan Malinovskyi should feature in support of lone striker Mateo Retegui. The Ukraine star has played seven league matches against Torino without ever scoring or laying on an assist - his worst record against any Italian club.

Joining them in the visitors' attack, Albert Gudmundsson impressed in last week's win over Lazio and has completed more dribbles in the first two Serie A matchdays (nine out of 11 attempted) than any other player, in addition to creating four scoring chances.

Torino possible starting lineup:
Milinkovic-Savic; Schuurs, Buongiorno, Rodriguez; Bellanova, Ilic, Ricci, Lazaro; Radonjic, Vlasic; Zapata

Genoa possible starting lineup:
Martinez; Sabelli, Bani, Dragusin, Vasquez; Strootman, Badelj, Frendrup; Gudmundsson, Malinovskyi; Retegui

We say: Torino 1-0 Genoa

Torino's search for a first league win could end on Sunday evening, as they come up against a Genoa side likely to concede the ball and frustrate them. It may well be one goal that decides a close-fought game, and having just bolstered their front line, Toro should score it.


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Written by
Jonathan O'Shea

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