On their return to Serie A (SA), Genoa is still in search of their first home win, with their previous two matches at home resulting in a 4-1 loss to Fiorentina and a two-goal lead squandered against champions Napoli. Manager Alberto Gilardino remained optimistic after their latest defeat, a narrow 1-0 loss to Lecce, emphasizing that his team “fought until the very last moment,” despite playing most of the match with only ten men.
While Gilardino struggled to secure victories against their upcoming opponents, Roma, as a player (with six wins, six draws, and 20 losses), he made a mark on these encounters personally, scoring 12 times. This impressive goal tally is the third-highest he achieved against a single opponent. The 41-year-old manager will be hoping that this record can inspire his players, as Genoa hasn’t managed to win any of their last 17 meetings with the Giallorossi (with four draws and 13 losses).
Meanwhile, Roma’s head coach, José Mourinho, will be looking for a strong response from his team after conceding a heartbreaking late equalizer in their 1-1 draw against Torino. Mourinho will also be hoping for a better playing surface at Stadio Luigi Ferraris compared to the one at Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, which he described as “so bad that it makes the Stadio Olimpico at Roma look like a catwalk.”
Both Genoa and Roma have specific objectives in this upcoming fixture. Genoa is eager to secure their first home win in Serie A, while Roma aims to improve their away form. So far this season, Roma has accumulated just five points from their opening five league fixtures, marking their worst record in five years. This challenging start poses a threat to Mourinho’s personal unbeaten record against Genoa (with five wins and three draws), a run that includes an impressive seven clean sheets.
Two players to watch in this fixture are Genoa’s Mario Retegui and Roma’s Romelu Lukaku. Retegui has quickly established himself as Genoa’s key player, contributing to five goals (with four goals and one assist) in six appearances across all competitions since joining from Boca Juniors in the summer. Lukaku, on the other hand, has been in formidable form recently, with six goal involvements (including five goals and one assist) in his last four matches for both club and country. Notably, all five of his recent goals came after the 55th minute.
A notable statistic is that Roma has struggled to win any of their last nine away matches in all competitions when conceding the first goal, resulting in two draws and seven losses. This statistic may provide Genoa with some optimism as they seek their first home victory of the season.