Genoa will take on a Lecce side that has been on a poor run of form in the Serie A on Sunday. Their hosts have begun 2024 undefeated. The visitors have fallen down the Serie A standings after five games without a victory.
Preview (Genoa vs. Lecce)
Throughout their last six Serie A games, Genoa has not only avoided loss but also advanced farther out of the relegation zone thanks to their newfound fortitude. Both of Grifone’s key strikers, Mateo Retegui and top scorer Albert Gudmundsson, scored goals in the team’s 2-1 victory over Salernitana last week, moving them up to 11th in the league standings. Genoa is one of just three teams in Italy—the league’s top three, AC Milan, Juventus, and Inter Milan—that have not lost since mid-December. As a result, the Ligurian team’s goal of surviving Serie A becomes increasingly attainable.
After winning in Salerno, Alberto Gilardino’s team now needs to capitalize on two more matches against teams at the lower end of the standings: the Rossoblu will host Lecce for Sunday’s early kickoff at Marassi and then travel to Empoli for their first match of February. In their five previous meetings in the top division, Genoa has defeated Lecce at home in Serie A. Based on their current performance, they should be able to maintain their dominance. Lecce is aiming to defeat Genoa for the first time ever in Serie A after winning the rematch. Before that triumph, the Salento team had only triumphed once in 14 league games against the Grifone.
But accomplishing such a feat will require the Giallorossi to bounce back from a miserable stretch of performances that began before the New Year. In the last five games, they have lost four and scored just one goal. Lecce has lost half of their ten away games this season and drawn the other half. They are still without a single away victory. Finding a solution to their problems sooner rather than later may be crucial to averting a relegation struggle.
Team News
Despite Alberto Gilardino’s Genoa team’s success the previous time out, midfielders Milan Badelj and Morten Frendrup received bookings that will prevent them from playing on Sunday due to suspension. As a result, Morten Thorsby and Koni De Winter may start. The latter had just returned from a one-match suspension. However, Gilardino will still be without several players because of injuries. The most noteworthy of whom are Stefano Sabelli, Junior Messias, and newly signed Emil Bohinen on loan. Albert Gudmundsson has scored nine of the Grifone’s 22 league goals this season. He has the potential to become the first Genoa player to achieve double figures in consecutive league campaigns.
Lecce have much less injury worries because only the Croatian Dermaku is questionable for their journey to Marassi; Hamza Rafia, Ahmed Touba, and Lambeck Banda are all expected back from the Africa Cup of Nations, although none of them is predicted to start. Remi Oudin, the team’s chief creator and the scorer in the September rematch, leads the Giallorossi in chances created (33) and chances produced from set pieces (12). The Montenegrin’s deputy, Roberto Piccoli, will be looking to lay on a goal for misfiring striker Nikola Krstovic.
Genoa 2-1 Lecce
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