Genoa vs Inter Milan: Match Preview

When the season began, Inter headed into their first match with uncertainty around them. They had just replaced Antonio Conte, Achraf Hakimi, Romelu Lukaku, and Christian Eriksen, but surprised the crowd as they pummeled Genoa 4-0 with goals from newcomers Edin Dzeko and Hakan Calhanoglu. As Inter head into their return fixture against Genoa, uncertainty surrounds the club again after losses to Milan, Sassuolo, and Liverpool in recent weeks. While dented, Inter’s title hopes are not lost and could be back on track beginning with a win over Genoa.

Photo by Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images

Genoa, now under manager Alexander Blessin, have had yet another chaotic season. Already on their third manager of the season, they sit in the relegation zone, just two points from the bottom. However, they have managed to draw their four most recent matches, including a 0-0 draw against Roma.

Inter loanee Zinho Vanheusden will be out for this match with a knee injury. Joining him on the list of unavailable players will be Mattia Bani, Domenico Criscito, and Roberto Piccoli, all big losses for Blessin’s team.

Photo by Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images

Inter come into this match without a league win since January 22, over a month ago. Their last match, a 2-0 loss at home to Sassuolo, was their third of the season but their second since the turn of the new year. Luckily, both AC Milan and Napoli dropped points in a chaotic weekend of Serie A action, so Inter are still in control of their own destiny. A win would keep Inter in that position before heading into a Coppa Italia semifinal derby and a match week where Milan and Napoli face each other.

Only Joaquin Correa and Robin Gosens are question marks for Simone Inzaghi’s squad, with the latter possibly being on the bench on Friday. Alessandro Bastoni and Marcelo Brozovic, who Inter have sorely missed, will both be back from suspension. Simone Inzaghi has expressed confidence for the struggling Lautaro Martinez, who will likely start with Edin Dzeko. With a full week of rest, Inzaghi should be able to put out his strongest team with full focus on getting the three points.

Previous Results

4-0 (H) - 21/8/2021

3-0 (H) - 28/2/2021

Predicted Starting XIs

Prediction: Genoa 0-3 Inter

A return to form is sorely needed for Inter. Hitting the back of the net would life the weight off of the entire team and energize them for the coming matches. Hopefully Lautaro can finally break his duck and others like Hakan Calhanoglu and Denzel Dumfries can get the goals coming again from other parts of the pitch. A clean sheet would also be good for the struggling Samir Handanovic.

Forza Inter!