Serie A Preview: Napoli vs Genoa – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

Sunday’s Serie A program ends at Stadio Diego Maradona as title-bidding Napoli take on bottom-half Genoa in a must-win fixture. Driving toward the finish line, Antonio Conte’s charges boast a three-point lead over reigning champions and fiercest competitors Inter Milan pre-round.

Inter could put the pressure back on Napoli as they meet Torino on home soil a few hours earlier. Only three points separate the teams before Sunday’s kickoffs, and with three games left, it’s needless to say any slip-up could backfire on Antonio Conte or his former associates.

Serie A’s decision to re-establish the title playoffs fuels the excitement ahead of one of the most dramatic season finales in recent memory. However, Napoli look well-positioned to beat Inter to the punch as they’ve hit a purple patch at the perfect time.

Giacomo Raspadori slotted home a sublime free-kick to inspire a narrow 1-0 win at Lecce last weekend, extending Napoli’s winning streak to four matches. Unlike their upcoming rivals, Genoa slumped in the previous round as they squandered a second-half advantage in a 2-1 home defeat to AC Milan.

Three consecutive league defeats have dashed the Griffins’ hopes of securing a first top-half finish in Serie A since 2014/15. With nothing but pride left to play for, there’s a mismatch in motivation, which doesn’t mean Napoli can afford to take Patrick Vieira’s underperforming side lightly.

Match Preview

Napoli

What started as a distant dream is becoming a reality for Napoli. Conte’s men are masters of their destiny and would have no one but themselves to blame if they failed to hoist a second Scudetto in three years. Defensive solidity has been the cornerstone of Conte’s remarkable success in Naples, with Napoli boasting the division’s best record of only 25 goals conceded.

Furthermore, they have won their last four league outings without a reply and could make it five such triumphs in a row for the first time in club history. An incredible 17 clean sheets this season gives Napoli another reason for enthusiasm, as does a favorable-looking schedule in the run-in.

The Partenopei will face three bottom-half teams down the final stretch, starting with a home meeting with Genoa. Napoli have been dominant in such match-ups this season, winning 14 out of 17 matches against sides from the lower reaches (D2, L1). Moreover, 11 came without conceding, highlighting their brilliant form against lower-ranked opposition.

Genoa

Napoli’s formidable record against ‘lesser’ teams paints a bleak picture for the traveling squad, whose record against Serie A’s heavy hitters is anything but enviable. The abovementioned defeat to Milan marked Genoa’s 17th consecutive winless encounter against teams starting this round in the upper half of the table (D5, L12).

However, recent clashes in Naples give Genoa hope that they can throw a dent in Napoli’s title ambitions. Despite not winning on this ground since 2009, they have eked out three draws across their last five league visits (L2), including a 1-1 stalemate in this corresponding fixture in 2023/24.

Against this backdrop, Genoa have yet to win a road game in 2025 (D4, L5), most recently slipping to a 1-0 loss at Como. A lack of firepower has seen Vieira’s misfiring frontline draw a blank on their last three Serie A travels (D1, L2), casting further doubt on their hopes of upsetting the apple cart here.

Team News

Mathias Olivera could partner with Amir Rrahmani at the heart of Napoli’s defense as Alessandro Buongiorno and Juan Jesus remain on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Billy Gilmour could slot back into the starting eleven due to Stanislav Lobotka’s minor ankle discomfort.

On the other hand, injury-hit Genoa will be without long-term absentees Fabio Miretti and Ruslan Malinovskyi. The same goes for Maxwel Cornet, who’s still on the treatment table. Vieira cannot count on Morten Thorsby, who has accumulated yellow cards.

Napoli vs Genoa Potential Starting Line-ups

Napoli (4-4-2): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Olivera, Spinazzola; Politano, Anguissa, Gilmour, McTominay; Raspadori, Lukaku.

Genoa (4-2-3-1): Leali; Sabelli, De Winter, Vasquez, Martin; Frendrup, Masini; Norton-Cuffy, Messias, Vitinha; Pinamonti.

Napoli vs Genoa Prediction

History beckons for Napoli, and it’s almost impossible to bet against Conte’s team. Genoa gave Milan a run for their money on Monday and might do the same here. However, the Partenopei should put another three points on the board.