Genoa vs Cagliari

Genoa

<p>Genoa remain in a precarious position after a hard-fought 1-1 draw away to AC Milan last time out, a result that extended their winless run in football's Serie A to five matches. While that point was commendable, it did little to ease their relegation concerns, with the Grifone sitting 17th in the standings on 16 points, just three clear of the drop zone.</p> <p>Another draw appears a distinct possibility here, given the Rossoblù’s tendency to share the spoils against fellow strugglers. Daniele De Rossi's side have drawn five of their six league matches this season against teams starting the round in the bottom seven, underlining their difficulty in turning parity into victory.</p> <p>That problem has been even more pronounced at the Luigi Ferraris, where Genoa have managed just one win this season (1W, 4D, 5L). This is part of a broader run of just one victory in their last 13 league home fixtures dating back to last season.</p> <p>However, history against Cagliari provides some encouragement. Genoa have lost just one of the last seven competitive head-to-head meetings (1W, 5D, 1L), with that solitary victory coming on home soil during the 2023/24 campaign.</p> <p>They also remain unbeaten at home against Cagliari in that period, with a record of 1W and 2D from those meetings (0L). This suggests this fixture may offer a chance to halt their slide.</p> <p>Their squad is beginning to feel the strain. Maxwel Cornet, Caleb Ekuban, and Albert Grønbæk are all sidelined through injury, while Jean Onana is returning from the Africa Cup of Nations.</p> <p>A 4-4-2 formation is expected. Vitinha and Lorenzo Colombo are starting upfront.</p>

Cagliari

<p>Cagliari [LDWLD] arrive with a slightly healthier cushion and fewer immediate worries. A 2-2 draw away to Cremonese in midweek typified the inconsistency of their campaign, marking a seventh successive league match in which their result differed from the one before [2W, 2D, 3L].</p> <p>Gli Isolani sit 14th on 19 points [4W, 7D, 8L]. They are six clear of the relegation zone.</p> <p>Confidence on the road is growing, too. A 2-1 victory at Torino to close out 2025 has put Fabio Pisacane's men on the brink of securing consecutive league away wins for the first time since September 2019.</p> <p>However, injuries will test their depth, with Andrea Belotti, Mattia Felici, Alessandro Deiola, and Michael Folorunsho all unavailable.</p> <p>Gennaro Borrelli may pair with Zito Luvumbo in the attack of a 3-5-2 setup.</p>