Serie A Preview: Genoa vs Milan – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

Serie A Matchday 35 rounds off at Stadio Luigi Ferraris as Genoa and Milan renew hostilities in contrasting moods. With nothing but pride left to play for down the final stretch, the Griffins could throw a spanner in their visitors’ hopes of pulling off a late European push.

Genoa’s form has recently hit a freefall, perhaps due to a lack of motivation to fight for results. A narrow 1-0 defeat at Como last weekend marked their third consecutive league match without scoring (D1, L2) and a second defeat on the trot.

Despite those slumps, Patrick Vieira’s charges commenced this round in 13th, boasting an unassailable 14-point lead over the bottom three. However, the Frenchman would likely appreciate a bit more from his team, and Milan’s visit could be what they need to show that fighting spirit.

In contrast to Genoa’s downturn, Milan may have finally hit a purple patch. Unfortunately for Sergio Conceicao, it could be too little too late for his side’s European aspirations. With sixth-placed Lazio nine points away, there’s hardly a chance for the Rossoneri to sneak into the European qualification spots even if they win all four remaining games.

Therefore, sealing Europa League qualification through Coppa Italia glory could be the ceiling of Milan’s ambitions. Milan will take on Bologna in the cup final in mid-May, so building momentum could be at the forefront of Rossoneri’s mind heading into this fixture.

Match Preview

Genoa

Genoa’s underwhelming patch stretched well beyond the abovementioned run of three consecutive scoring blanks in Serie A. Indeed, Vieira’s men have only won twice across their last nine league outings (D3, L4), largely thanks to their dismal form in front of goal.

A lack of firepower in the final third has seen Genoa fail to score in four of their last five top-flight matches (W1, D1, L3). The only exception to this disappointing run came at this venue against mid-table Udinese in early April when Alessandro Zanoli’s late goal inspired them to a 1-0 win.

That victory formed part of Genoa’s promising six-game unbeaten streak in home league action (W5, D1) before a 2-0 defeat to Lazio in their most recent game at Luigi Ferraris knocked them off their perch. Milan’s upcoming visit spells further trouble, particularly considering Genoa’s long-standing struggles in this match-up.

However, it could also serve as an added motive for the Griffins to get back to winning ways.

Milan

Despite disappointingly drawing 0-0 in December’s reverse fixture at Stadio San Siro, Milan boast an imperious record against Genoa. They have only lost once in their last 15 encounters against this opposition (W10, D4), suggesting they may take this trip down the A7 highway with great expectations.

Adding to the visitors’ optimism, they have emerged victorious from five of their last six visits to Luigi Ferraris (D1), keeping Genoa at bay on four occasions. Milan’s strong recent record at this stadium puts them in a perfect position as they bid to win a fourth successive away match for the first time since March last year.

Conceicao’s lads have beaten Inter, Venezia, and Udinese by 2+ goals ‘to nil’ across their last three competitive away games. That’s a substantial improvement on their previous slumps on the road that had seen them lose six times across eight competitive travels beforehand (W2).

Team News

Injury-hit Genoa must cope without Maxwel Cornet, Caleb Ekuban, Hugo Cuenca, Jean Onana, Ruslan Malinovskyi, and Fabio Miretti, whose season was recently cut short by a shoulder injury. Another issue is Andrea Pinamonti’s poor form, with Vieira’s standout striker failing to score in the last nine games.

On the other hand, Milan cannot call upon winter arrivals Riccardo Sottil and Warren Bondo. However, Emerson Royal has returned to training after a three-month layoff, though he’ll likely stay on the bench, with Alejandro Jimenez set to start on the right wing. Luka Jovic is not fully fit, so Santiago Gimenez should lead the line.

Genoa vs Milan Potential Starting Line-ups

Genoa (4-3-3): Leali; Norton-Cuffy, De Winter, Vasquez, Martin; Frendrup, Masini, Thorsby; Messias, Pinamonti, Vitinha.

Milan (3-4-3): Maignan; Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Jimenez, Fofana, Reijnders, Hernandez; Pulisic, Gimenez, Leao.

Genoa vs Milan Prediction

Conceicao’s decision to switch to a 3-4-3 has turned Milan’s fortunes around, and their recent return to prominence could be too hot to handle for out-of-form Genoa. Nonetheless, this shouldn’t be a walk in the park for the Rossoneri, even though they should take home all three points.