As Serie A enters its third round of fixtures, Genoa welcomes Hellas Verona to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris on Sunday evening in a match that pits two sides with contrasting starts to the 2024-25 campaign against each other.
Genoa, under the stewardship of Alberto Gilardino, have made an impressive start to the season, remaining unbeaten in their opening two league fixtures. The Grifone showed remarkable resilience in their season opener, fighting back to secure a 2-2 draw against reigning champions Inter Milan. They followed this up with a gritty 1-0 away victory at Monza, demonstrating their ability to grind out results even when not at their fluent best.
The Ligurian side’s early success has been built on a solid defensive foundation and the clinical finishing of new signing Andrea Pinamonti. The former Sassuolo striker has seamlessly filled the void left by the departures of Albert Gudmundsson and Mateo Retegui, netting the decisive goal against Monza. Genoa’s home form has been particularly impressive, with the team unbeaten in their last four league matches at the Luigi Ferraris dating back to last season.
Hellas Verona, on the other hand, have experienced a rollercoaster start to their campaign under new manager Paolo Zanetti. After a disappointing Coppa Italia exit to Serie B side Cesena, the Gialloblu stunned Napoli with a comprehensive 3-0 victory on the opening day of Serie A. However, they were brought back down to earth with a bump in their second fixture, suffering a reverse 3-0 defeat at home to Juventus.
The clash at the Luigi Ferraris presents an opportunity for both sides to make a statement of intent for the season ahead. Genoa will be aiming to continue their unbeaten start and potentially become the first Grifone team in over a decade to go undefeated through their opening three Serie A fixtures. Verona, meanwhile, will be eager to bounce back from their Juventus setback and claim their first away victory against Genoa since 1989.
Team News:
In terms of team news, Genoa may be forced into at least one change from their winning lineup against Monza. An injury to Mattia Bani could see Alessandro Vogliacco return to the defense. The hosts are also without Alan Matturro, Alessandro Zanoli, Fabio Miretti, and recent arrival Brooke Norton-Cuffy due to various injuries. The midfield partnership of Morten Frendrup and Milan Badelj is expected to continue, while Junior Messias will likely provide support to the strike duo of Pinamonti and Vitinha.
Verona have fewer injury concerns, with only Suat Serdar and Juan Manuel Cruz unavailable for selection. Colombian striker Daniel Mosquera is anticipated to retain his place as the central forward, having impressed in the opening fixtures. The Scaligeri’s attack will be further bolstered by the presence of Dailon Livramento and Daniel Mosquera, both of whom found the net on their league debuts.
The historical head-to-head record favors Genoa, with Verona managing just nine wins in 32 top-flight meetings between the teams. However, with both sides showing flashes of promise in the early stages of the season, this encounter promises to be an intriguing battle that could set the tone for their respective campaigns.
As the sun sets on Genoa’s port city this Sunday evening, all eyes will be on the Luigi Ferraris to see which of these two ambitious sides can claim a crucial early-season victory and build momentum for the challenges that lie ahead in Serie A.
Expected Starting XIs
Genoa: Gollini: De Winter, Bani, Vasquez; Sabelli, Frendrup, Badelj, Martin; Messias; Vitinha, Pinamonti
Hellas Verona: Montipo; Tchatchoua, Coppola, Dawidowicz, Magnani; Belahyane, Duda; Livramento, Suslov, Lazovic; Mosquera
