The race for Serie A survival took another twist over the weekend and looks set to go down to the wire.
While most thought it would be a knock-down, drag-out fight between Genoa and Siena, two teams that played over the weekend, Palermo decided it was time to throw their two cents in as well. Genoa and Siena fought out a 2-2 draw at the Marassi. A match that saw both teams take the lead and snatch defeat, or a draw in this case, from the jaws of victory. Meanwhile, Palermo won at Roma, a result not even the most hopeful Rosanero fan would have expected.
As Atalanta and the rest of the pack have recently picked up points to pull themselves away from the bottom of the table, Genoa have been unable to do so. Mostly due to the Grifone’s schedule, Genoa were without a point in their previous three matches prior to last Saturday. Typically, gaining a point last weekend would have been a good result when fighting relegation. The only problem was Siena were and still are one point below the Grifone.
The magic that coach Davide Ballardini brought to the club in late January is gone. The fire that the club’s new signings brought to the side is gone as well. Both evaporated over a month ago when Genoa struggled to a scoreless draw with Palermo at the Renzo Barbera in a game the Grifone could not best another team fighting relegation. Despite Genoa’s ability to score goals since Ballardini’s return, 1.1 goals a game, Genoa’s porous defence has returned.
Only Pescara, Roma and Cagliari have let in more goals in Serie A this season. Yes, it is an improvement on last season when Genoa led the way with a league leading 69 goals conceded, but their 50 goals scored eased some of the pressure on the defence. Now without Rodrigo Palacio to carry the attack, Genoa have scored only 31 times and their 11 away goals is third worst in Serie A.
This season Genoa have not beaten their direct relegation rivals – Siena, Palermo, Pescara – in the five matches the team have played against them. Twice Genoa limped to a draw with Palermo, the club lost to Siena in a dire match before their recent draw and most depressing of all, Genoa were defeated 2-0 by Pescara in early December.
Immobile’s early season form is almost a distant memory for the youngster.
Looking at those stats, it’s not hard to believe Ballardini’s boys will end up being relegated. Though the club picked up important points in late January and early February, perhaps the surge the team made was a little too soon. However, without that surge the club would most likely be beneath Pescara in the league’s current standings.
Time is still on the side of the Marassi outfit as eight games remain this season. Unfortunately, the club travel to the Stadio San Paolo next and a loss to the league’s second best team can be assumed. In completely depressing fashion, Genoa lost an unexpected lead twice when the clubs last met; eventually losing 4-2.
Luckily, following Napoli the Grifone will only play one other team in the upper half of the table. These fixtures will make or break Genoa’s season. But the team will need to find goals as their 31 in 2012/13 is tied for fourth lowest on the peninsula. Right now Marco Borriello (9) and Bosko Jankovic (4), finally healthy again, are carrying the attack.
Meanwhile, the player that was expected to carry the team and have a breakout season, Ciro Immobile, has done little for some time now. Though he did tally an assist against Siena, his first since early January, the striker has not scored since pre-Christmas against Inter. Though that has been only nine matches, Genoa need the youngster to rediscover the form that made him so sought after last autumn.
The race for survival will most likely take another twist this weekend. Whether it’s a positive twist in regards to Genoa’s season is unknown, but if it is to be a positive one, then the Grifone’s defence will need to find away to stop Edinson Cavani. If the defence fails to do that, expect another four goal Napoli day against Genoa.
Twitter: @CalcioFarmer. Drew Farmer is a Forza Italian Football senior writer and Genoa correspondent. He also hosts the Forza Italian Football Club Focus Podcast.
What I find most to be Genoa’s problem is their tactical makeup. It seems to me that the wrong players and the wrong formations are established, resulting in an unbalanced team, which will never win a football match. I’d like Genoa to stay up, but management decision-making is killing the team, IMO.