AS Roma in search of maiden win ahead of Genoa trip.
Genoa host AS Roma on Sunday at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, with both sides eager for a crucial win to bounce back from recent setbacks in what promises to be a fiercely contested Serie A clash.
Genoa
Genoa’s first defeat of the season came as a 2-0 loss at home to Hellas Verona. Two second-half goals handed Paolo Zanetti’s side a setback after an encouraging start that saw them hold defending champions Inter Milan to a 2-2 draw in their opening fixture.
Now sitting 10th in the standings, Genoa will look to rebound against Roma. Their previous 4-1 home win over the Giallorossi offers hope, as Genoa could secure consecutive victories over Roma at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris for the first time since 2011 when they won four straight games against the visitors.
However, another home loss will make it the first time Genoa suffers back-to-back home defeats in a single Serie A season since late 2021, with one of those losses coming against Roma. Manager Alberto Gilardino is expected to stick to the familiar 3-5-2 formation, with Andrea Pinamonti and Vitinha leading the attack.
Genoa is not without their challenges, as several key players remain sidelined. New signing Brooke Norton-Cuffy is out with a leg injury, while Alessandro Zanoli and Mattia Bani are also unavailable due to muscle problems. Additionally, Junior Messias remains doubtful for this clash.
Roma
On the other side, Roma are coming off the back of a goalless draw against Juventus, their second draw in three Serie A games this season [0W, 2D, 1L]. Manager Daniele De Rossi, under mounting pressure, is yet to find a winning formula, though he remains optimistic about his team's potential to compete with Italy’s top sides.
"Roma won't have a big gap with the other big teams," De Rossi stated after the goalless draw against Juventus, insisting Roma can challenge for top places despite a slow start to the season. De Rossi can take some comfort in Roma’s dominant record against Genoa. The Giallorossi have gone unbeaten in 17 of their last 18 Serie A matches against Genoa [13W, 4D, 1L].
In addition, they have kept four clean sheets in their last five meetings. The impressive head-to-head record could provide Roma with the inspiration needed to finally secure their first win of the season. However, failure to win would see it become the fourth time in the club’s history that Roma would remain winless in four opening Serie A games. The last time Roma suffered such a fate was in the 2010/11 season.
De Rossi is likely to field a 4—3—3 formation with Artem Dovbyk, Matías Soulé, and Alexis Saelemaekers leading the attack. Meanwhile, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Tommaso Baldanzi are both ruled out of the weekend’s fixture.
Team form
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