Genoa vs Napoli – News and Probable Lineups

This Saturday evening, Napoli will embark on a new chapter as they travel to Genoa for their initial Serie A contest of the season at Stadio Ferraris.

While the Partenopei are adapting to life after Antonio Conte, their opponents made a triumphant return to competitive play with a solid cup victory last week.

Match overview

Although Napoli failed to retain the Scudetto last season, finishing significantly behind newly crowned Serie A champions Inter de Milão, they still secured second place and lifted the Supercoppa Italiana.

While their title pursuit dwindled by the middle of winter, Conte’s tenure still culminated in the acquisition of two trophies before he departed Stadio Maradona as customary.

Having exited the knockout stages prematurely, Napoli’s Champions League venture was undoubtedly the lowlight, but their new head coach Max Allegri will soon have the opportunity to guide them through this year’s league phase.

Despite a disappointing end to his time at AC Milan, the experienced coach – who previously succeeded Conte at Juventus with success – has been entrusted with the role by the outspoken president Aurelio De Laurentiis.

Allegri has a previous connection to the Campania team, rounding off his professional playing career in Naples, and the pre-season results have generally been affirmative: after a loss in their opening friendly, Napoli bounced back with three wins from four, concluding with a 6-2 rout against Aris.

As a result, with a record of eight victories and 23 goals across their last nine Serie A openers, they are expected to be well-prepared for the upcoming trip to Liguria.

History indicates that Napoli is a heavy favorite, as Genoa has managed only one victory in the last 26 encounters between the two teams in the Italian top division.

During that span, they recorded 17 defeats, including both matches last season, culminating in a late 3-2 defeat at the Ferraris in February, when Rasmus Hojlund scored a last-minute winner.

The Rossoblu concluded the season in 16th place, ultimately achieving their objective of remaining in Serie A.

Despite ending the campaign without a win in their last five matches, Daniele De Rossi’s squad enjoyed a solid mid-season run that ensured they were out of relegation trouble.

Now embarking on his first complete season with the Ligurian outfit, De Rossi – who took over from Patrick Vieira in November – aims to improve their fortunes.

Following some underwhelming results in pre-season, most notably a severe 10-1 loss to Bournemouth, Genoa recently marked their return to competitive action with a 4-1 triumph over Ascoli in the Coppa Italia.

Team News

Napoli’s activity in the transfer market has been relatively modest, with Romelu Lukaku moving to Fenerbahce and Benoit Badiashile poised to join from Chelsea. Kevin De Bruyne remains in Naples for now.

Young full-back Costantino Favasuli has also joined the ranks, acting as a backup to club captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo.

Allegri will be hoping Badiashile is ready for a quick introduction, as Sam Beukema and Luca Marianucci are both sidelined due to injuries – although Beukema may be available for the bench this weekend.

Fellow centre-back Alessandro Buongiorno has undergone knee surgery, with a return projected after the international break in November, and Brazilian winger David Neres is also out of contention.

While Hojlund and last season’s leading scorer Scott McTominay with 10 goals are likely to lead the charge for the visitors, Lorenzo Colombo is positioned to spearhead Genoa’s attack.

Five of Colombo’s seven Serie A goals last term were scored at home, thus new signing Elias Havel is expected to start on the bench – with both strikers netting against Ascoli.

Noteworthy departures include Jeff Ekhator and Ruslan Malinoxyi, while Mario Mitaj has joined on loan from Al-Ittihad and delivered an assist on his debut; however, fellow newcomer Hamed Traore is currently injured.

Genoa probable starting XI:

Bijlow; Marcandalli, Ostigard, Vasquez; Norton-Cuffy, Frendrup, Sow, Mitaj; Baldanzi, Vitinha; Columbus

Napoli probable starting XI:

Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Marin, Spinazzola; Anguissa, Lobotka, McTominay; Politano, Hojlund, Alisson

Starting his tenure with maximum points, tactician Allegri could get the upper hand over De Rossi, whose progressive style does not consistently yield results.

Genoa may present challenges to a Napoli defense missing key players, yet the visitors possess significantly more strength in midfield and greater effectiveness in their attacking options.