Genoa vs Cagliari prediction: ITALY: Serie A betting tips on match 2024-11-23 11:30.
[p]Despite Genoa avoiding defeat in their final two matches before the international break (W1, D1), an underwhelming start to the season proved Alberto Gilardino’s undoing, as he was dismissed as head coach. Legendary French midfielder Patrick Vieira is his replacement, and he’s tasked with lifting his new side further clear of the Serie A relegation zone, which they sit just one point clear of pre-round.[/p]
[p]First on the agenda will therefore be ending their wait for a home win, as they’re one of only two Serie A teams yet to emerge victorious on their own turf this season (D4, L3). Conceding early goals has been their problem in that spell, with Genoa conceding the opener in each of their last six home league matches, with the only exception being their season opener against Inter – in which they still conceded before the break.[/p]
[p]A spectacular 3-3 draw, which saw Gabriele Zappa become the first defender to score a brace against AC Milan in Serie A since 1986, brought a timely end to Cagliari’s three-match losing streak. As a result, Davide Nicola’s men also spent the international break a point clear of danger, though they still boast more points at this stage than in both of their previous two top-flight seasons.[/p]
[p]Three defeats across their five away league matches suggest Cagliari aren’t the most confident of travellers (W1, D1), but the 1-1 draw they managed at Juventus proves they retain the ability to cause an upset. That’s certainly not been the case in this fixture of late however, with the Islanders winless in nine consecutive away H2Hs (D2, L7), failing to score in each of the last five![/p]
[p]Players to watch: Andrea Pinamonti has been fundamental for Genoa lately, directly contributing to each of their last four goals (G3, A1), all of which arrived after the 70th minute. Zappa’s star-turning performance against Milan continued a trend that’s seen each of his last eight goals come after half-time.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Genoa are the only team yet to score in the opening 15 minutes of each half this Serie A season.[/p]
[p][i]Written by Tomáš Vlasák[/i][/p]