Five Key Battles To Watch in Genoa vs Lazio: Matteo Guendouzi Faces His Match | OneFootball

After a 48-hour delay and never-ending complaining, the contest between Genoa and Lazio is set to kick off on Wednesday at 18:30 local time.

Having already secured safety, the Grifone have been relieved from all sorts of pressure. On the contrary, this is a must-win contest for the Biancocelesti to preserve their remaining hopes of securing Champions League qualification.

As is often the case, this contest will be dictated by a series of key duels. So let’s take a look at some of the most compelling battles that we expect to take place, at least based on the two teams’ probable lineups.

Koni De Winter vs Taty Castellanos

The two-day delay might actually play in Taty Castellanos’ favor. The Argentine has only recently returned from a long layoff, so he wasn’t supposed to play 120 minutes against Bodo/Glimt.

The 26-year-old will be eager to score his first Serie A goal in more than two months, but it won’t be easy against Koni De Winter who has now emerged as one of the most formidable young centre-backs in Italian football.

Adam Marusic vs Aaron Martin

With Gustav Isaksen serving a one-match suspension, Marco Baroni will reportedly field Adam Marusic in an unusual role as a right winger. Hence, it would be interesting to see what sort of contribution he’ll be offering in the final third.

We can expect the Montenegrin to launch runs and try to pick up Castellanos and Boulaye Dia with his crosses, but Aaron Martin will be there to try and stop him in his tracks.

Matteo Guendouzi vs Morten Frendrup

This could be the most interesting one of the lot. Matteo Guendouzi is now considered one of the best box-to-box midfielders in Serie A, but Morten Frendrup isn’t too far behind. The Dane has emerged as a true leader at Genoa thanks to his combative displays and relentless runs. Hence, neither man will give the other an inch on Wednesday.

Andrea Pinamonti vs Alessio Romagnoli

Like Castellanos, Alessio Romagnoli should be able to recover his strength thanks to the extra two-day rest afforded by the delay. Yet, keeping Andrea Pinamonti won’t be an easy task for the former Milan captain, as the 25-year-old striker has been rounding up this game this season, becoming a major threat both in the air and on the ground.

Alessandro Zanoli vs Luca Pellegrini

Finally, we have an action-packed battle on the wing between two energetic Italians who enjoy trotting up and down the flank. Alessandro Zanoli is becoming increasingly familiar with his more advanced role, while Luca Pellegrini has so much to prove at the end of a rollercoaster campaign, as his future at Lazio remains up in the air.