Genoa have been blessed with some excellent strikers over the years. Diego Milito had two unbelievable spells at the club where he scored 57 goals in 90 matches. More recently, Genoa have showcased the likes of Rodrigo Palacio and Alberto Gilardino. The former used the Grifone as a team to springboard his career while the latter used the Ligurian side to continue his career into his 30s.
While Genoa have had some quality up top, the club has also had it in equal amounts in terms of dross. Supporters will recall the likes of Lucas Pratto, a striker given the No. 2 shirt, as one example of a player that failed to find the back of the net at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris before he was bundled back to Argentina.
During the summer, Genoa splurged on two strikers with the potential of shooting the team into Europe next season. Two capable strikers were something the team lacked in the two seasons prior to this as the squad relied quite heavily on Gilardino last term before he left the club for China.
Alessandro Matri, who signed on loan from AC Milan in the summer, has quickly adapted to life in Genova. The Italian has four goals so far and his play as a target-man has been outstanding; which has led to three assists already, including the assist for Luca Antonini’s game winning goal against Juventus on Wednesday. Meanwhile, fellow striker Mauricio Pinilla, who signed from Cagliari in August, has equalled Matri’s output in goals in all competitions.
Despite their potential, coming into the season, fans would have been forgiven for wanting neither of the strikers in the team. Matri had split the previous season between AC Milan and Forentina where he tallied five goals in 30 games (15 matches with each club). Pinilla on the other hand, has carried a reputation for being selfish and lazy for some time now. Though his quality could’t be argued, his desire and grinta (fighting spirit) were by many. Pinilla has certainly shed that reputation in the early stages of the season however. He has regularly been Genoa’s best player when given the starting nod by coach Gian Piero Gasperini.
In all nine of Genoa’s fixtures thus far, Gasperini has left either Matri or Pinilla on the bench to start games. Whether it was poor work in the transfer window by president Enrico Preziosi, Genoa only have two out-and-out strikers, which prevents Genoa from playing both from the start. Due to Gasperini not being able or unwilling to start with both players, Genoa have often had slow starts in many games.
In their 2–1 come from behind win against Chievo, Matri and Pinilla were outstanding when played together. The two combined to score Genoa’s winner as Diego Perotti’s cross was flicked on at the near post to an onrushing Pinilla. That goal was very similar to the one that levelled things earlier in the half as Pinilla headed a cross back across goal for Matri to head past Francesco Bardi.
Gasperini’s desire not to play the two together, or inability due to having no other substitutes, does contribute to Genoa’s lack of goals. The team is averaging just over one goal per game. Deploying both strikers would help to energise the team and put more pressure on defences early on. That pressure would in turn take pressure off of Genoa’s backline.
The club’s slow starts have been most evident in their four wins this season. The winning goals have all come after the 85th minute. In fact, the wins against Parma and Chievo were rather fortunate as the Grifone weathered massive assaults from their opponents.
Despite the success of both strikers and Genoa’s need to deploy both at the same time, it doesn’t appear that will happen until at least January, when a third striker can be added to the side. Until then, Genoa will hope Matri and Pinilla can continue their hot starts to the season.
