This weekend, Genoa host Lazio in Serie A, which will be of importance in the race for European football next season.
Date: 19/04/24
Kick-off time: 17:30
Venue: Luigi Ferraris
With six games remaining, Lazio’s hopes of European football remain alive, though victory this weekend will be a must in order to keep pace with the sides above them. They currently sit seventh on 49 points, and are six points behind Roma, who hold the final European spot. However, Atalanta are a point and a place ahead of them but have two games in hand, which could make their task more difficult as they will have to leapfrog two teams. A defeat could see them fall in the table, with Napoli only trailing them on goal difference. Torino in ninth are also just four points behind.
Genoa, in contrast, have very little to play for with minimal games left, as they languish in mid-table. In 12th, they are well clear of relegation, and too far behind to threaten any of the teams above them. This may cause Lazio more issues as there is no pressure on the side to perform.
Goal scoring is not a strength for either side, with the visitors’ 41 goals only better than Torino in the top half. Their top scorer is Ciro Immobile with just six, though he has been out with injury. The offensive load has been passed onto Felipe Anderson, who has five on the season, with two of them coming in their most recent game. Genoa have found the back of the net just 34 times this season. They will look to Albert Gudmundsson to provide an attacking threat, as he has scored 12.
In their last five league meetings, Lazio have got the better of their opponents on three occasions, losing just once. However, that one Genoa victory came in the most recent game, which was the reverse fixture earlier this season. Away from home, Genoa came out on top as narrow 1-0 winners, with Mateo Retegui scoring the winning goal. They also faced off in the Coppa Italia Round of 16, in which Lazio won 1-0. Matteo Guendouzi scored the decisive goal after five minutes.