Udinese will host Genoa on Monday, aiming for their third home victory in four matches this Serie A season. Currently, Udinese is in the mid-table after being eliminated from the Coppa Italia. In contrast, Genoa is battling to secure their place in Serie A following a poor start to the season.
Match Preview
Udinese’s Nicolo Zaniolo is in form, scoring in their recent 2-0 victory over Parma. This week, Zaniolo has contributed significantly, clinching seven points for the team through his goals in previous matches against Atalanta and Cremonese.
However, Zaniolo did not score in Udinese’s last match, a Coppa Italia defeat against Juventus. They were eliminated after conceding two goals midway through each half. This leaves Udinese solely focused on their league campaign.
Historically, Udinese has struggled against Genoa, losing their last three encounters without scoring. They also lost five of the previous six meetings against them. Interestingly, Genoa has only lost once in their last five visits to Udine since November 2020.
Genoa’s Recent Performance
Genoa has shown improvement, going unbeaten in their last four league matches after an initially rough start that saw them lose six of nine games. Their new coach, Daniele De Rossi, celebrated a crucial 2-1 victory against Hellas Verona last week. Goals from Lorenzo Colombo and Morten Thorsby secured the win.
Despite the positive momentum, Genoa recently fell to a 4-0 defeat on Cup duty against Atalanta. They have yet to keep a clean sheet in their last seven matches.
Team News
Udinese will miss midfielder Arthur Atta for two weeks due to a thigh injury. Wing-back Hassane Kamara is also sidelined with a foot problem. However, Thomas Kristensen is back and may feature on the bench. Following rotations in the Cup, stars like Zaniolo and captain Jesper Karlstrom are expected to return to the starting lineup.
In their squad, Zaniolo leads the attack, having netted four goals in Serie A since October but has yet to score against Genoa. For Genoa, Colombo has been instrumental, finding form under De Rossi with two goals in three matches.
Genoa’s lineup will also see the return of goalkeeper Nicola Leali and center-back Leo Ostigard, with Brooke Norton-Cuffy available after serving a suspension. The only absentee for the visitors is injured winger Maxwel Cornet.
Possible Lineups
- Udinese: Okoye; Bertola, Kabasele, Solet; Zanoli, Ekkelenkamp, Karlstrom, Piotrowski, Zemura; Zaniolo, Davis
- Genoa: Leali; Marcandalli, Ostigard, Vazquez; Norton-Cuffy, Frendrup, Malinovskyi, Thorsby, Martin; Vitinha, Colombo
Prediction
Our prediction favors Udinese with a scoreline of 2-1 against Genoa. Although Genoa has shown signs of improvement, their defensive vulnerabilities may be exploited by Udinese. Both teams have conceded a league-high 12 goals after halftime, suggesting an open match as it progresses.
