Lazio vs Genoa – News and Probable Lineups

Following a perfect start to the Serie A season, Lazio are set to host Genoa at Stadio Olimpico this Sunday evening.

Aiming for their seventh consecutive victory against the Grifone, the home team bounced back from a cup disappointment to claim a win against Bologna, relieving some pressure on their newly appointed head coach.

Match overview

After a challenging period at the helm of Itália, Gennaro Gattuso commenced his tenure with Lazio with a defeat in the opening round of the Coppa Italia, where last season’s finalists were upset by Mantova.

A home defeat to a Serie B side quickly drew criticism towards the Biancocelesti’s new boss, yet his team quickly recovered at Stadio Dall’Ara.

Davide Frattesi, a summer acquisition, marked his league debut with a goal, allowing Lazio to secure three important points against Bologna while holding on for the last 30 minutes.

In order to surpass last year’s ninth-place finish, Gattuso must address the team’s home performance, which poses a challenge as a fan boycott typically leaves the Olimpico nearly deserted.

With a record of eight victories out of 19, Lazio’s failure to qualify for European competitions can be attributed to their home form; however, historically, they have secured a win in four of their last five first home matches.

The side from Rome has also triumphed in their last six encounters with Genoa, outscoring them 13-2 in aggregate.

Genoa came agonizingly close to breaking that streak when they last faced Lazio in February, only to lose 3-2 due to a penalty from Danilo Cataldi in the 100th minute.

Entering this match with varying results from the start of the new season, the Grifone began with a solid cup victory over Ascoli but were met with disappointment in their Serie A opener against Napoli.

Historically, they had prevailed in just one of their last 26 league encounters, and that pattern persisted with a 2-0 setback at home, conceding both goals in the final moments of the match.

As he embarks on his first full season with the Ligurian club, Daniele De Rossi is keen to avoid another relegation battle, making it imperative for him to secure three points this weekend.

Not only does De Rossi have a strong desire to defeat Lazio, but after only four away victories last season, improving that statistic is also a clear objective.

Team News

In an effort to compensate for the losses of former strikers Taty Castellanos and club icon Ciro Immobile, Lazio has recruited Sassuolo frontman Andrea Pinamonti, who previously had two loan spells at Genoa.

Petar Ratkov and Tijjani Noslin are also in the mix, although Boulaye Dia has been leading the attack in both games to date.

The home side will still be without Patric and Cataldi, while Adam Marusic and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru picked up injuries last week and could remain sidelined for two weeks.

Dele-Bashiru was replaced by Frattesi, who subsequently netted the winning goal; it has been 16 years since anyone scored in their first two appearances for Lazio.

Genoa has bolstered their attacking options by signing Milutin Osmajic from Preston North End, and the Montenegro international will be vying with Lorenzo Colombo for a starting position.

Analogous new arrivals Elias Havel and Hamed Traore are currently unavailable due to injuries, but De Rossi has the majority of his squad fit and ready for action.

Lazio probable starting XI:

Mandas; Lazzari, Doekhi, Proxgaard, Pedraza; Frattesi, Rovella, Taylor; Isaksen, Dia, Zaccagni

Genoa probable starting XI:

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

Lazio’s longstanding dominance may face a challenge, as they often struggle to perform at home with a significant portion of their fanbase absent.

As a result, Genoa could potentially earn their first point and break a disheartening pattern of defeats in this fixture.