Genoa finally ended the dismal run of results as they beat Atalanta away, but that triumph will not mean much unless the Rossoblu can continue with good performances. Chievo could only muster a goalless draw with Siena, with the Flying Donkeys still searching for their first point on the travels.

Invaluable victory in Bergamo

Following what was a very difficult last season, Genoa chiefs decided to rejuvenate the squad over the summer and start building a side that could have a big role to play in a couple of years. That was always going to be a difficult process despite the presence of experienced players such as Marco Borriello, Juan Vargas, Bosko Jankovic and Andreas Granqvist, but club chiefs could not tolerate poor results at the start of the season and decided to replace Luigi de Canio with old wolf Luigi Del Neri. While team’s performances improved a great deal, the results remained very disappointing, that is until Genoa recorded an away win over very good Atalanta side last weekend. There is every chance that a morale-boosting win was just what this talented team needed to turn the season around, so I honestly believe the Rossoblu can continue the good run with a win over by far the worst travelers in the elite division.

Emiliano Moretti and Marco Borriello are banned, while Damiano Feronetti, Luca Antonelli, Cristobal Jorquera, Anselmo and Giammario Piscitella are out injured.

Still no points on the travels

Chievo are another side that had a pretty disappointing start to the season, but the general impression is this team don’t have enough quality to do much better. The Flying Donkeys have shown some improvement under new boss Eugenio Corini, their former player, but that is not enough to escape the difficult relegation tussle. Chievo have just extended their winless run to five games by losing to Serie B strugglers Reggina at home in Coppa Italia, which has made the atmosphere in the squad even worse than it was. While Chievo continue to pick up points at their Bentegodi, the team are absolutely awful on the travels, having lost all six away games, scoring 3 and conceding 16 goals in the process. Taking that into account, the Flying Donkeys look destined for a defeat at Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

Striker Mamadou Samassa is suspended, while Nicolas Frey, Paul Papp, Kamil Vacek and Luciano remain in the infirmary.

Verdict

By finally recorded the long-awaited victory, Genoa have taken a huge weight off their shoulders, which should result in another solid showing from Luigi Del Neri’s side. Chievo, on the other hand, are going through a rough patch and their 0-0-6 away record basically speaks for itself.

Top pick: Home win   2.20 (6/5) @ Sportingbet

Alternative pick 1: Genoa to win to nil   3.75 (11/4) @ Paddy Power

Alternative pick 2: Under 2.5 goals   1.67 (2/3) @ BetFred