Genoa returns to Coppa Italia action as it waits for its first win in the league. Last Saturday, the Rossoblù came away empty-handed from their second away game of the season, at Bologna: with time almost up, a penalty converted by Orsolini gave the Emiliani a 2-1 victory and prevented Patrick Vieira’s men from taking a point on a difficult pitch, which would have been useful and helped them move up the table.
The Grifone have collected just two points in their first four games, thanks to a 0-0 draw with Lecce and a 1-1 draw in Como, with Ekuban catching up with the Larians in injury time.
In short, Genoa has yet to find its stride: the attack, in light of the small number of goals scored—just two in four games—has come under scrutiny. The only game in which the Rossoblù scored more than one goal was in the Coppa Italia against Vicenza, which they crushed 3-0 in August.
Vieira, while giving priority to the league (next Monday’s match against Lazio), expects answers from the game against Empoli, a lower-ranked opponent that is struggling to get going in Serie B. The Tuscan side, relegated from Serie A, won their opening game against Padova but have since managed just one point: in their last game, they suffered a heavy defeat in Pescara (4-1), once again revealing serious limitations when not in possession (they have yet to keep a clean sheet). Coach Guido Pagliuca, fresh from his exciting experience at Castellammare di Stabia, has a lot of work to do to get the Azzurri back on track and avoid missing out on promotion.
Odds comparison
Genoa’s victory is priced at 1.52 on Goldbet and Lottomatica and 1.50 on Snai. The “Multigol 2-4” bet is priced at 1.53 on Goldbet, Lottomatica, and Snai.
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The prediction
Both teams have other things to think about after a less than positive start to the season. However, the Coppa Italia could provide the boost they need ahead of their upcoming matches: despite Vieira’s turnover, Genoa should be able to get the better of last season’s semifinalists in a match where the total number of goals is likely to be between two and four.
Probable lineups for Genoa-Empoli
GENOA (4-2-3-1): Siegrist; Sabelli, Ostigard, Otoa, Martin; Frendrup, Thorsby; Carboni, Messias, Gronbaek; Vitinha.
EMPOLI (3-4-2-1): Perisan; Oberatin, Guarino, Tosto; Ebuehi, Belardinelli, Yepes, Moruzzi; Saporiti, Iliev; Popov.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 2-1