Chievo host Genoa at the Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi Stadium on Sunday afternoon in Serie A, with the Gialloblu hoping to bounce back from last weekend’s derby defeat to Hellas Verona.
The visitors will look to build upon their recent 2-1 win at home to Udinese. Prior to that, the Rossoblu had failed to win in five league outings, with four of those coming against top eight sides.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s squad have struggled away from home during this campaign, having kept just one clean sheet and registered a solitary victory on the road this term. Chievo could be the place to start though, as Rolando Maran’s team have an indifferent home record. They have won more points away (17) than they have at home (14) and have not won at home since a 1-0 victory over Atalanta on December 13.
Losing 3-1 to fierce rivals Hellas Verona last time out in the Derby della Scala will have hurt and they will want to improve their home form if they want to avoid getting dragged into a relegation battle.
Both sides are looking over their shoulders at the teams in the drop zone as they are without their top goal-scorers. Genoa’s Leonardo Pavoletti has scored ten times this season but remains out until mid March, whilst Alberto Paloschi left Chievo for Premier League club Swansea City in January.
There was a goal fest the last times these teams met earlier this season, as the hosts Genoa took the spoils with a 3-2 triumph after a late Panagiotos Tachtsidis strike ensured maximum points in an entertaining battle.
Last season’s meetings both ended with away wins as Genoa sealed a 2-1 result and Chievo returned the favour with a 2-0 victory at Stadio Luigi Ferraris.
Gasperini has Ezequiel Munoz out injured with an ankle injury, as well as the aforementioned Pavoletti missing from his squad. Sebastian De Maio is likely to replace Munoz in defence whilst Christian Ansaldi looks set to return for the visitors in place of the suspended Armando Izzo.
Meanwhile, Maran has selection problems of his own with both Simone Pepe and Alessandro Gamberini facing late fitness tests and will look to make wholesale changes the side that lost 3-1 to Hellas Verona last weekend. Nicolas Spolli and Giampiero Pinzi miss out due to suspension and Riccardo Meggiorini looks set to replace Sergio Pellissier.
Form Guide: Chievo (L-D-W-L-L) Genoa (W-L-D-L-D)
Expected Starting XIs
Chievo: Bizzarri; Frey, Dainelli, Cesar, Gobbi, Rigoni N, Radovanovic, Castro, Birsa, Inglese, Meggiorini.
Genoa: Perin; De Maio, Burdisso, Ansaldi, Fiamozzi, Rincon, Dzemaili, Laxalt, Cerci, Matavz, Suso.
Infographic Source: www.sporticos.com
