Genoa, the newly promoted side in Serie A, has moved six points clear of the relegation zone after a run of two matches without defeat before Christmas. A respectable draw against Juventus was followed by a victory over Sassuolo, but it will be difficult to extend this run of unbeaten form with a third match against league leaders Inter Milan. Genoa has not beaten its opponent in the top flight since February 2018 (1 draw, 7 defeats).
Playing at home could help the team to close out 2023 in style. Alberto Gilardino’s men are unbeaten in their last five matches at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris (3 wins, 2 draws). Their last home defeat came against Inter’s great rival, AC Milan (1-0). This is part of a run where they have conceded just one goal in five of their last seven home matches.
Inter went into Christmas with a four-point lead at the top of Serie A after beating Lecce 2-0 in their last outing. This puts the club in pole position to win the Scudetto. The Nerazzurri have scored in 25 consecutive league matches – a club record with a single manager – and only Juventus has prevented them from winning in their last nine league matches (8 wins, 1 draw).
Simone Inzaghi’s men are also the only team in the league not to have lost away from home (7 wins, 1 draw) and as they have not conceded a goal in their last four away trips to Genoa, they are the clear favorites. The team is the one with the most clean sheets in the five major European leagues this season. As a result, the players are full of confidence and have everything in their hands to close out 2023 in the best possible way.
Players to watch: Ruslan Malinovskyi has directly contributed to two goals against Inter in the past (1 goal, 1 assist). This was on each occasion in draws, as was the case when he last scored for Genoa. It is interesting to note that this is also the result of the only head-to-head encounter in which Marko Arnautovic has scored. However, the striker is in form after providing the assist for Inter’s last league goal in a 2-0 win.
Current streak: In the last 14 meetings in Serie A, the two teams have never scored.
Probable Lineups
Genoa (3-4-1-2): Martinez; De Winter, Bani, Dragusin; Sabelli, Frendrup, Badelj, Vasquez; Malinovskyi; Ekuban, Gudmundsson
Inter Milan (3-5-2): Sommer; Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Augusto; Thuram, Arnautovic
Prediction: Inter Milan to win 2-0
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