It may be too early in the season for this match to be dubbed a classic relegation six-pointer, but there is no other way to describe the clash between the usual suspects when it comes to relegation tussle. With the two sides sitting just outside the bottom three at the moment, there will be a lot riding on this game.

Gasperini back at Genoa

After the team narrowly escaped the drop last term, the club chiefs made a real effort to reinforce the squad and they indeed signed quite a few high-quality players. However, their decision to trust inexperienced Fabio Liverani with the squad rebuilding process quickly backfired and it was soon time for some damage control. The former Genoa midfielder was sacked following the home defeat to Napoli, with experienced Gian Piero Gasperini returning for the second spell at Stadio Luigi Ferraris. The new boss enjoyed a good start as his side held Catania away to a 1-1 draw despite missing several important players at Stadio Angelo Massimino. With the good result in Sicily serving as a much needed confidence boost, Genoa now have an excellent chance to finally record the second victory of the campaign seeing as how they play host to out-of-sorts Chievo. This Rossoblu side clearly have more than enough potential to avoid the relegation battle alltogether, and it is high time they showed their true face.

Sime Vrsaljko and Davide Biondini have recovered from injury, while Luca Antonelli could also be in contention after missing the last few matches with an ankle problem.

Will Chievo finally go down?

Chievo are already used to defying the odds as they tend to get nominated as one of the main candidates for the drop, only to survive the campaign without too many problems. The Flying Donkeys clearly face another difficult season, but it remains to be seen if they can extend their run in the elite division for one more year. Giuseppe Sannino’s side have been largely struggling in the opening exchanges, losing five of first seven matches, but the home win over Udinese ensured they remained above the relegation zone. However, the team are under pressure having lost last three league fixtures, and with matches against Fiorentina, Roma, Bologna and Milan next after the trip to Stadio Luigi Ferraris, the Flying Donkeys are aware they are in a very difficult situation at the moment. Chievo have yet to score a goal on the road this season, meaning their back line will have to be at their best if the team are to avoid the fourth successive defeat in Serie A.

Dario Dainelli, Adrian Callelo and Alessandro Bernardini are out injured, whereas Alessio Sestu is a major doubt.

Verdict

Neither team have been too impressive in the opening exchanges, but Genoa seem to be showing some improvement and they definitely have enough quality to improve their current position. Meanwhile, Chievo continue to struggle on the travels and I seriously doubt they can get anything from this match.

Top pick: Home win   2.10 (11/10) @ Ladbrokes

Alternative pick 1: Under 2.5 goals   1.67 (2/3) @ Stan James

Alternative pick 2: Genoa to win to nil   3.40 (12/5) @ Paddy Power