With the 2023-24 Serie A season winding down, Genoa host relegation-threatened Sassuolo at Stadio Luigi Ferraris on Sunday, keen to extend their unbeaten run to three games.
Unlike their opponents, the hosts have little to play for in the campaign's concluding weeks, even if the Rossoblu have stayed competitive nonetheless, and nothing less should be expected in gameweek 36's encounter with the Neroverdi.
Match preview
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Genoa held AC Milan to a 3-3 draw in gameweek 35, somehow contriving to lose their 1-0 and 2-1 leads before notching a late equaliser after Milan's Malick Thiaw put the ball into the wrong end.
That point saw Alberto Gilardino avoid losing on his return to San Siro, and it means the Rossoblu have been beaten once in their last seven Serie A games — a 1-0 loss against Lazio at the Marassi.
Gilardino's men have stayed competitive despite being assured of their top-flight status and being outsiders for a continental spot.
While only two victories have been secured since the start of March — a 2-1 triumph at Hellas Verona and a 3-0 triumph over Cagliari — a top-half finish remains possible for the side in 12th, with 10th-placed Torino (47 points) and Monza (45) in 11th within touching distance of the Rossoblu (43).
Regardless of their final position, the Red and Blues have had a commendable year back in the big time, already sure to end above the other promoted sides — Cagliari and Frosinone — to further underscore how comfortable they have been on their return.
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The other sides that came up will hope Genoa do them a favour this weekend against Sassuolo, with the Neroverdi stunning Serie A champions Inter Milan 1-0 last weekend to complete the double over Simone Inzaghi's team.
While the Emilia-Romagna outfit's win over Inter means the champions will not cross the 100-point mark in Serie A this term, the triumph keeps Davide Ballardini's men three points adrift of Empoli in 17th, three behind Frosinone and four back of Cagliari in 16th and 15th, respectively.
Nevertheless, Sassuolo still need results in their final three games to guarantee safety this term, and they hope to build on last week's result that ended their six-match sequence without securing maximum points.
Road victories have been few and far between this term, underscored by the Neroverdi claiming two in 17 away fixtures, defeating Inter at San Siro and beating Empoli 4-3 at the Castellani, the latter coming in late November 2023.
With over five months without winning on the road, Ballardini hopes his side claim a positive result on Sunday, heading into the campaign's concluding games at home to Cagliari and a trip to Lazio.
Team News
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Genoa are not expected to have Mattia Bani (muscle), Ruslan Malinovskyi (thigh) and Vitinha (muscle) available for selection this weekend.
No player has netted more goals since the start of March than Albert Gudmundsson, whose 14 goals places him one behind Gilardino's 15 from the 2013-14 season.
Domenico Berardi (knee) is a long-term absentee for Sassuolo, while Gregoire Defrel (thigh) and Samu Castillejo (knee) are not expected back for Sunday.
Armand Lauriente has netted four of his five Serie A goals this term in the last four league appearances, and the forward hopes to come up trumps for the strugglers this weekend.
Genoa possible starting lineup:
Martinez; Vogliacco, De Winter, Vasquez; Sabelli, Frendrup, Badelj, Martin; Gudmundsson; Retegui, Ekuban
Sassuolo possible starting lineup:
Consigli; Erlic, Kumbulla, Ferrari; Toljan, Henrique, Lipani, Thorstvedt, Doig; Lauriente, Pinamonti
We say: Genoa 1-1 Sassuolo
While Sassuolo may be buoyed by last weekend's win over the Serie A champions, they are not expected to follow it up with success at Genoa, who have avoided losing at the Marassi to any of the struggling sides, with their home defeats against Fiorentina, Milan, Atalanta, Monza and Lazio.
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