Napoli lost their flawless start to their Serie A campaign with a tough defeat to AC Milan, and they will aim to return to winning ways against Genoa on Sunday. It was a crunch game to come into as the then-second-placed Rossoneri have now overtaken the reigning Champions in the leading spot.
Napoli did respond to the defeat from last weekend with a victory in the UEFA Champions League. It was also their first triumph in the competition since 2023, and Antonio Conte will now seek focus on all fronts from his players. The upcoming game against Genoa is all the more important, as any issues here could open a new set of problems for Napoli in the title race.
Meanwhile, Genoa are settled at the bottom of the Serie A standings, after a disastrous start to the new campaign. Patrick Vieira’s men have picked up just two points from their first five games, as there’s growing pressure on the Frenchman.
Their latest setback came against Lazio, with the capital side demolishing them with a 3-0 scoreline. This series of results also represents their worst-ever start to a Serie A campaign this century. Hence, Vieira has to bring some level of competition in the mix, as he hopes for his players to respond; otherwise, the Frenchman could be in trouble.
Napoli will be without key defenders Amir Rrahmani and Alessandro Buongiorno as well as Pervis Estipinan, following his sending off against AC Milan. Leonardo Spinazzola will be his replacement at left-back, while Juan Jesus and Sam Beukema will represent the central defensive pairing.
Antonio Conte will have skipper Giovanni Di Lorenzo at his disposal as he was suspended for the UEFA Champions League encounter against Sporting CP. Romelu Lukaku remains a long-term absentee, but Conte will be happy with Rasmus Hojlund’s display, following his double over the Portuguese champions.
Kevin De Bruyne and Scott McTominay will headline this Napoli attacking setup, with Andre-Frank Zamob Anguissa and Stanislav Lobotka managing the midfield for the home side against Genoa.
Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Buekema, Jesus, Spinazzola; Lobotka; Politano, Anguissa, De Bruyne, McTominay; Hojlund
Patrick Vieira will want some of his key stars to perform, including Lorenzo Colombo, who is yet to get off the mark for the club. He will continue to spearhead the Genoa attack, and the backline will be marshalled by former Napoli man Leo Ostigard.
Nicolae Stanciu and Jean Onana are the ones missing out through injuries, while Junior Messias is a doubt following an ongoing groin issue. Johan Vasquez and Leo Ostigard will take care of the central defence, while Morten Frendrup will be stationed in the Genoa midfield against Napoli on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leali; Norton-Cuffy, Ostigard, Vasquez, Martin; Masini, Frendrup; Ellertsson, Malinovskyi, Vitinha; Colombo
The arrival of Hojlund did bring about some key questions about whether Napoli were making the right choice. The Danish striker had a miserable time at Manchester United, and many expected him to have similar performances with the Serie A champions.
However, the brace against Sporting CP would have quashed some growing doubts about the striker, as he’s proved his worth in leading the line in Romelu Lukaku’s continued absence. The key for the Dane is to keep performing, as Conte will want him at his best in this crunch period of the season.
Genoa have struggled for relevance, and their players have not been able to get going. Striker Lorenzo Colombo is a big example in that regard, and as is Ruslan Malinovskyi, with Patrick Vieira probably placing his bets on those two coming good. However, their form is not likely to flourish, especially against the reigning Serie A champions.
Napoli did suffer a setback last weekend, but appeared to have recovered from the mental side of things. However, they must keep proving their worth in the title race, as a win over bottom-placed Genoa seems imperative. Antonio Conte will engineer a big win against the strugglers on home soil and keep their foothold in the title challenge.
