Preview: Genoa vs. Roma
Aiming to continue their long dominance of Genoa in Serie A, Roma visit Stadio Luigi Ferraris on Thursday night, when they also seek just a second league win of the season.
While the Giallorossi conceded a late leveller against Torino at the weekend, to remain mired in mid-table, Genoa were beaten by Lecce and have only four points on the board.
Failing to preserve a lead earned by Romelu Lukaku’s third goal in three games since making his debut, Roma were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw with Torino on Sunday evening, when Duvan Zapata struck late on.
As a result, Jose Mourinho’s men have picked up just five points from the first five rounds, equalling Roma’s worst record at this stage since the start of the century (equal with 2004, 2010 and 2018).
Two wins and nine goals in the space of a week had previously kick-started the Giallorossi’s 2023-24 campaign, as victory in their Europa League opener followed a 7-0 destruction of Empoli, but they are back under scrutiny and cannot afford to slip up again in the next few days.
Roma will meet two promoted sides – Genoa and Frosinone – before returning to European action, so a six-point haul would prove the perfect tonic for the capital club given several early-season stumbles.
Following their failure to retain a lead in Turin, Thursday’s visitors have now won just one of their last 11 away games in Serie A. However, they have taken maximum points home from each of their last three trips to Genoa and could now record four wins on the spin at Marassi for the very first time.
Overall, Roma are unbeaten in 16 Serie A matches against Genoa, with this week’s hosts losing 12 times during that period and keeping a clean sheet only once.
That sole shut-out came in the clubs’ most recent encounter: a goalless draw in February 2022, shortly before the Grifone slipped through the trapdoor into Serie B.
Having emerged from the second tier at he first time of asking, by finishing runners-up to Frosinone last season, Genoa have won only one of their opening five league matches, with a 1-0 loss in Lecce last time out leaving them on four points.
Alberto Gilardino’s men previously squandered a 2-0 lead to Napoli and were thumped by Fiorentina on the opening day, so remain in search of a first home success of their Serie A comeback campaign – ominously, Roma and Milan are next up at Marassi.
As his Genoa team have recorded both the fewest shots (32) and lowest possession share (34.8%) in Italy’s top flight this term, the early signs are that Gilardino could be set for a relegation struggle – particularly if he cannot find some home wins soon.
Genoa Serie A form:
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Genoa form (all competitions):
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Roma Serie A form:
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Roma form (all competitions):
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We say: Genoa 0-1 Roma
With Genoa averaging less than a goal per game so far – and lagging behind in the possession stats – some sharp finishing from one of Roma’s top-notch forwards could prove fatal to the Grifone’s hopes of a first home win. Their most recent victory at Marassi was in the Coppa Italia early last month, and that wait will surely go on.