Genoa vs Udinese – News and Probable Lineups

On Friday evening, two teams separated by only three points will clash at Marassi, as hosts Genoa aim to surpass Udinese in the Serie A table.

Both sides appear to be safe from relegation, but they still have the chance for a rare finish in the top half with nine matches left.

Match overview

Since Daniele De Rossi took charge at Genoa, his revitalized squad has achieved the eighth-best record in Serie A, featuring the fourth-most prolific attack in that timeframe.

Being nine points clear of the relegation zone, the Grifone have secured three victories in their last four league games, matching their total wins from the previous 12 matches, including recent triumphs against Roma and Hellas Verona.

After pulling off a surprising win against De Rossi’s former club just a week prior, they continued their impressive run with a win over Verona last Sunday, highlighted by second-half goals from Vitinha and goalscoring centre-back Leo Ostigard.

The Ligurian team has the opportunity to achieve three consecutive top-flight victories for the first time under De Rossi, though their last such achievement was in 2021.

This weekend, several factors favor Genoa, especially their strong record at home, having won four out of their last five matches.

Additionally, they remain unbeaten in eight encounters against Udinese, having won the last four, making them favorites to secure maximum points and leapfrog their Friday visitors.

Indeed, Udinese has not managed to score in the last three meetings between the teams at Stadio Ferraris, earning only a single point in that span.

Recently, the Friuli side, which also fell to defeat in this season’s prior fixture, has begun to lose momentum, jeopardizing their ambition for a place in the top 10.

With four losses in their last six outings, only Cagliari and Cremonese have earned fewer points during this period, causing Kosta Runjaic’s side to drop to 11th in Serie A.

Last week, they faced a 1-0 defeat at home against Juventus, marking another defeat in that lopsided matchup with the Bianconeri.

Nevertheless, after narrowly avoiding relegation in 2024, Udinese remains comfortably placed in mid-table, having avoided danger for a second consecutive season.

Team News

While Ruslan Malinoxyi, Junior Messias, and Caleb Ekuban picked up knocks against Verona, all are expected to return by Friday, leaving Jean Onana as the only absentee for Genoa.

Midfielder Patrizio Masini is also back after serving a suspension, providing the hosts with plenty of choices.

Under De Rossi, the Grifone’s attacking unit has come alive, with Lorenzo Colombo finding the net six times in Serie A, and Vitinha scoring in consecutive matches.

For Udinese, forward Keinan Davis has netted nine goals; now back to his full fitness, he has been involved in a goal in each of his last three away fixtures.

Set to partner with Nicolo Zaniolo again—given Adam Buksa is nursing a calf injury—he aims to reach double digits for the season.

Along with Buksa, Nicolo Bertola, Jordânia Zemura, and Alessandro Zanoli are also sidelined, but crucial defender Oumar Solet may return to the starting lineup after missing three games.

Genoa probable starting XI:

Bijlow; Marcandalli, Ostigard, Vasquez; Norton-Cuffy, Frendrup, Malinoxyi, Messias, Ellertsson; Vitinha, Colombo

Udinese probable starting XI:

Okoye; Kristensen, Kabasele, Solet; Ehizibue, Ekkelenkamp, ​​Karlstrom, Atta, Kamara; Zaniolo, Davis

Though Genoa has been in excellent form at Marassi, mid-table rivals Udinese often struggle to perform their best on the road.

The Bianconeri have suffered five defeats in their last eight away matches, and another loss in Liguria would push them below the hosts.