Genoa-Reggina is a Serie B Week 31 match played on Friday at 20:30: odds, predictions, TV and streaming
In the Serie B this year there are plenty of coaches who became world champions in 2006 with Marcello Lippi’s national team. Among them are Alberto Gilardino and Pippo Inzaghi: the two shared the same dressing room at AC Milan, and in 2007 – thanks to a double from the centre forward from Piacenza in the final in Athens – they became European champions. Today, however, their mission is to bring Genoa and Reggina back to the top flight.
Gilardino, who took over from German Blessin in the ongoing championship, has managed to find a way to turn around a team that, on paper, has the best equipped squad in Serie B. Since December Genoa have lost only two games – against Roma in the Coppa Italia and Parma in the league – they have climbed the table and are now called upon to defend that second place that would guarantee them direct promotion to Serie A. Before the break, it was not wrong to call the Rossoblù the most in-form team in the tournament: four wins and a draw in their last five matches, without conceding a single goal. A fortnight ago, Genoa also took three points off leaders Frosinone, who showed some signs of weakening against Cosenza: first place is now ‘only’ six points away.
Reggina, on the other hand, is in free-fall: after an ambitious first half of the year in which the amaranthos fought for the first two places, they have barely won a match since the end of January. Waiting to recover the challenge against Perugia, postponed because of the earthquake, Inzaghi is called to put an end to a worrying haemorrhage of defeats: the humiliating 0-4 with Cagliari was the third consecutive knockout. It’s raining cats and dogs on the banks of the Straits: in the last few days the news of the referral for February’s pending matches has arrived, and soon penalty points could arrive.
Genoa v Reggina: latest line-up news
In the Rossoblù attack Gudmundsson is expected to flank the returning Coda, while Puscas and Aramu will sit on the bench, ready to come on as the game progresses. On the left flank there is Criscito in place of the injured Haps.
Cicerelli
No notable absence at home Reggina. Inzaghi recovers Thiago Cionek in defence, but the two centre-backs should be Gagliolo and Camporese.
The prediction
In a Marassi close to a full house, Genoa should get another comfortable victory against a Reggina in difficulty, especially in the non-possession phase (the last clean sheet of the amaranth dates back to December). The total goals will be at least three.
Genoa v Reggina matchday squad
- GENOA (3-5-2): Martinez; Dragusin, Vogliacco, Bani; Criscito, Sturaro, Badelj, Strootman, Sabelli; Gudmundsson, Coda.
- REGGINA (4-3-3): Colombi; Pierozzi, Camporese, Gagliolo, Di Chiara; Majer, Crisetig, Fabbian; Canotto, Menez, Rivas.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 3-1
