Serie A Gameweek 16 gets underway at Stadio Luigi Ferraris as newly-promoted Genoa and title-bidding Juventus go head-to-head. Massimiliano Allegri’s men have grown accustomed to pre-weekend fixtures, with this marking their third consecutive Friday outing.
Genoa’s rapid downfall after a promising start at the beginning of their returning Serie A campaign hit a new low last weekend. Dany Mota’s 83rd-minute winner inspired Monza to a narrow 1-0 win against Alberto Gilardino’s faltering squad, leaving them winless in their last four competitive games.
Indeed, the wheels seem to be coming off. In addition to losing twice in their last three league matches, the Griffin bowed out of the Coppa Italia a week ago, slipping to a 1-0 defeat at Lazio. As the pressure cranks up on Gilardino, home fans fear the timing of Juventus’ upcoming visit couldn’t be any worse.
Allegri’s style and methods are not among the most eye-pleasing in Serie A. But as Niccolo Machiavelli famously said – the end justifies the means. Napoli had to learn it the hard way last Friday as Federico Gatti’s strike early in the second half decided an evenly contested derby in Turin. It was Juve’s fifth 1-0 win of 2023/24.
Though most of his side’s Serie A victories this season have been labored, Allegri is notoriously fine by ‘winning ugly.’ After all, that approach has made Juventus the only viable title challenged amidst Inter’s imperious march toward a long-overdue Scudetto. As was the case last week, they can temporarily leapfrog Nerazzurri at the table’s summit with a win.
Match Preview
Genoa
What looked like a dream top-flight return is steadily becoming a nightmare. Except for narrow 1-0 triumphs against fellow bottom-half strugglers Salernitana and Hellas Verona, Genoa are winless in eight of their last ten league games (D2, L5). If it’s any consolation, both those wins came at Luigi Ferraris.
Adding to Gilardino’s confidence, Genoa emerged victorious in their last home encounter against Juventus, sealing a 2-1 win in May 2022. To make it two in a row, the Griffin must avoid a lapse of concentration in the latter stages, which has been synonymous with them this season.
Genoa’s tendency to switch off down the final stretch has seen them concede a joint-league high nine goals beyond the 75th minute. Interestingly, five of the last six goals they’ve allowed in Serie A have come by substitutes.
Juventus
Juventus commence this round two points adrift of table-topping Inter, largely thanks to Allegri’s state-of-the-art defensive set-up. Not only have Bianconeri conceded the division’s second-low nine goals this term, but they’ve also kept nine clean sheets in the first 15 rounds.
Defenders have done much more than only forge a wall in front of Wojciech Szczesny’s goal. Allegri’s center-backs have netted four of the visitors’ last six goals in Serie A, offering his underperforming frontline a massive helping hand.
With confidence oozing out of every pore, Juventus take this trip seeking a fourth successive league win in the hostile setting. After back-to-back winless Serie A travels (D1, L1), they’ve defeated Monza, Milan, and Fiorentina en route to building an impressive 16-point haul on the road.
Team News
Injured veteran Kevin Strootman remains the only notable absentee in the Genoa camp. With the remainder of his squad fit and ready, there’s no excuse for Giliardino in case things go sideways for the Griffin again. All eyes will be on Albert Gudmundsson, who’s suffered a dip in form following an outstanding league start.
As for Juventus, Mattia De Sciglio, Timothy Weah, and Moise Kean are still in the treatment room. Nicolo Fagioli and Paul Pogba are out due to suspension, but Allegri has at least welcomed captain Danilo back to the fold after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Genoa vs Juventus Potential Lineups
Genoa (3-5-2): Martinez; Koni De Winter, Radu Dragusin, Johan Vasquez; Stefano Sabelli, Ruslan Malinovskyi, Milan Badelj, Morten Frendrup, Ridgeciano Haps; Mateo Retegui, Albert Gudmundsson.
Juventus (3-5-2): Wojciech Szczesny; Federico Gatti, Gleison Bremer, Danilo; Andrea Cambiaso, Weston McKennie, Manuel Locatelli, Adrien Rabiot, Filip Kostic; Dusan Vlahovic, Federico Chiesa.
Genoa vs Juventus Prediction
Low scoring has been a common theme in Juventus and Genoa’s league games in 2023/24. There’s no reason to expect a change of scenery, especially with the home side starting this round only three points clear of 18th-placed Empoli.
As Genoa flirt with the relegation zone and Juventus can’t care less about the aesthetics, we can envisage a fiercely-contested midfield battle with very few goalscoring chances. That’s music to Allegri’s ears. Another 1-0 win is on the cards for Juventus.
Prediction: Juventus Win
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