Thursday evening’s Serie A match features a clash between two teams struggling early in the season, one of which is Genoa.
They recently secured their first victory in nine league matches against Parma, marking just their second win of the season. Sitting precariously just a point above the relegation zone, both of Genoa’s triumphs so far have been narrow 1-0 victories, with those matches being their only clean sheets.
Considering their low standings in the league, it’s unsurprising that Alberto Gilardino’s squad has struggled to find the back of the net, with only Lecce scoring fewer than their eight goals. Having failed to score in five of their initial 11 league fixtures this season (W2, D3, L6), Genoa have only managed two first-half goals, so a rapid start is unlikely.
On the other hand, visitors Como sit above their hosts in the league standings, but only due to goal difference. As newcomers to Serie A, Como have also found it difficult to accumulate points and share an identical record with Genoa before this encounter (W2, D3, L6). Following their 1-0 defeat at Empoli on Monday night, Cesc Fàbregas’ team has now endured three consecutive losses and has not won in five games (D1, L4).
Como suffered another setback on Monday, failing yet again to keep a clean sheet this season. They have now continued the unfortunate trend of conceding the first goal in every away match since their promotion, spanning seven games. Having collected just four points from their away fixtures so far (W1, D1, L5), it’s clear that this poor form must be reversed swiftly if they are to dodge relegation and maintain their place in Italy’s top tier.
A critical matchup to watch: Johan Vásquez has received three yellow cards in Serie A, including one in each of Genoa’s past two matches, all of which occurred after the 75th minute. Meanwhile, Matthias Braunöder will rejoin Como’s lineup after serving a suspension, having been sent off in his previous outing. He has averaged 2.9 fouls per game in the league this season.
In a concerning pattern, Genoa have let in 21 goals in Serie A this season, with 16 of those occurring in the second half of matches.
