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Separated by only three places in the Serie A standings, Napoli, the reigning champions, and newly promoted Genoa are set to face off at Stadio Maradona this Saturday.
Napoli's recent defeat has left them trailing significantly behind Italy's top four teams, while Genoa's impressive unbeaten streak came to an abrupt end last week.
After narrowly defeating Hellas Verona thanks to a late moment of brilliance from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Napoli suffered their eighth loss of the season in their disappointing title defense campaign. This defeat, a 1-0 result against AC Milan at San Siro, pushed them further down the Serie A table and emphasized their struggles in finding the back of the net.
The return of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, last season's top scorer (Capocannoniere), will be a much-needed boost for Napoli, especially for coach Walter Mazzarri, who has failed to turn things around since taking over from Rudi Garcia.
Napoli has now gone five away games without scoring a goal, marking their worst such streak in several decades. Their focus now shifts to their home turf, where they aim to keep their top-four aspirations alive.
While a clash with Barcelona awaits at Stadio Maradona in the Champions League's last 16, Napoli must first contend with Genoa, a team that has adjusted well to their return to the top flight.
Although Napoli hasn't lost to Genoa in their last three league encounters, including a 2-2 draw earlier this season, their home form this season has been less than stellar. The pressure to replicate the success of the previous campaign has weighed heavily on them, making each home match a significant challenge.
After relinquishing two valuable points in the September clash at Marassi, where Mattia Bani and Mateo Retegui scored for Genoa before Napoli's Giacomo Raspadori and Matteo Politano equalized late in the game, Genoa may approach this weekend's fixture with a sense of unfinished business.
Under Alberto Gilardino's management, Genoa finds themselves just five points adrift of the struggling reigning champions ahead of Saturday's match, with aspirations of securing a top-half finish rather than being embroiled in a relegation battle come spring.
Currently positioned 12th in the league standings, the Grifone have consistently challenged the top teams in Serie A, largely due to the formidable strike partnership of Retegui and Albert Gudmundsson, which has troubled defenses across Italy.
However, Genoa suffered a setback last week, enduring a 4-1 defeat at home to Atalanta BC, marking the end of an eight-game unbeaten streak that included draws against Juventus and Inter Milan.
Despite this, Genoa has amassed a respectable 12 points from a possible 36 in away fixtures so far this season, and they will look to extend their unbeaten run on the road to five games as they face Napoli in Naples.
Because of his delayed return from the Africa Cup of Nations, where Nigeria narrowly missed out on victory, Napoli's leading scorer Victor Osimhen might not be able to play on Saturday afternoon. In his absence, Giovanni Simeone is expected to continue leading the attack.
While Napoli will see the return of their first-choice goalkeeper Alex Meret to the bench after recovering from injury, Juan Jesus will miss the match due to suspension. As a result, Brazilian defender Natan is likely to step into the starting lineup.
With Mario Rui back from a one-game suspension, January acquisition Pasquale Mazzocchi might be relegated to a substitute role by manager Walter Mazzarri.
Although Osimhen's participation is uncertain, Genoa's primary goal scorer Albert Gudmundsson will be ready to play, needing just one goal to reach double figures in consecutive league seasons.
Koni De Winter, who was suspended for Genoa's 4-1 loss to Atalanta, is expected to return to the back three, potentially putting Alessandro Vogliacco's place in jeopardy.
Head coach Alberto Gilardino has nearly a full squad at his disposal, except for Ridgeciano Haps who remains sidelined with a knee sprain.
Napoli and Genoa are gearing up for a crucial clash in Serie A on Saturday, both eager to rebound from recent setbacks. With Napoli sitting in ninth place and Genoa in 12th, neither team has had a particularly impressive season so far. Napoli will be relieved to return to their home turf after suffering a 1-0 defeat against AC Milan on the road, marking their eighth loss of the season and leaving them a staggering 25 points behind league leaders Inter Milan. Their hopes of defending the title are dwindling, but the return of star forward Victor Osimhen from AFCON 2023 duty with Nigeria could provide a much-needed boost, especially considering Napoli's recent struggles to find the back of the net, failing to score in three of their last four matches.
The defeat against Milan halted Napoli's three-game unbeaten streak in Serie A and marked their third league game without a goal in the last five outings. Their home form will be crucial in this fixture, as they have secured three wins in their last four unbeaten home matches. Napoli has also had the upper hand in recent encounters against Genoa, winning four of the last six meetings. However, in their previous encounter, they had to come from 2-0 down to salvage a 2-2 draw.
Genoa endured a forgettable outing in their last match, suffering a 4-1 defeat at home against Atalanta. While Ruslan Malinovskyi's equalizer briefly raised hopes for Genoa, they ultimately succumbed to conceding four goals. This defeat marked their second consecutive winless match, with only three wins in their last 13 outings. Despite this, it was their first loss in nine matches, and they will be keen to bounce back.
Genoa has struggled against Napoli in recent history, managing just one win in their last 21 meetings. Although they came close to victory in September, blowing a 2-0 lead to settle for a 2-2 draw, Genoa has lost twice in their last three encounters with Napoli. Despite being considered underdogs, Genoa will take solace in their recent four-game unbeaten streak away from home in Serie A, during which they have won two and drawn two matches, with both teams scoring in three of those four away fixtures.
