Genoa vs Inter: Match Preview and Predictions

August 17, 2024. 19:30. Genoa. “Luigi Ferraris”
Serie A, Round 1

Where to watch: Megogo

Injuries: Ekuban, Ankeyé, Matturro, Marcandalli – De Vrij, Zielinski, Buchanan

Genoa vs Inter: Bookmakers’ Odds

Genoa

Just one day before the start of the new season, Genoa has suffered a significant blow as they lost their best player, Albert Gudmundsson. Last season, the Icelandic forward scored 14 goals and provided 4 assists, becoming a cornerstone of the team. Without him and the departed Matteo Retegui (sold to Atalanta), coach Alberto Gilardino faces a daunting challenge. The club still has time to find replacements for this duo, but it is clear that new signings will not match the impact of their entrenched leaders. According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Genoa are eyeing Andrea Pinamonti to replace Retegui, while negotiations have begun for Fabio Silva from Wolverhampton to fill the void left by Gudmundsson.

In this context, Ruslan Malinovskyi may step up as the definitive leader of the Griffons.

Inter

Inter has experienced a mixed preseason, largely due to the late arrivals of many players following international duty. As a result, the Nerazzurri had lackluster performances in friendly matches: a 1-1 draw with Pisa, a 0-2 loss to Al-Ittihad, and another 1-1 draw, this time with a raw Chelsea.

During the summer, Inter not only extended the contracts of Simone Inzaghi and Lautaro Martinez, but also signed three star newcomers – goalkeeper Josep Martinez (from Genoa), forward Mehdi Taremi from Porto, and midfielder Piotr Zielinski from Napoli. “With the loss of Buchanan, we only need to sign one more defender,” noted the coach. The versatile winger suffered a broken leg while on national team duty for Canada and will not return until December-January…

Interestingly, Inter had also pursued Albert Gudmundsson, but Fiorentina clinched the signing of the Genoa midfielder.

Genoa vs Inter: Author’s Prediction

At the Luigi Ferraris Stadium, Inter will don their new jerseys featuring two golden stars above the emblem for the first time in an official match, having surpassed AC Milan in the race for their 20th Scudetto.

Last season, Inzaghi’s team played to a 1-1 draw at this venue, a match where Lautaro Martinez was unavailable and the Genoa goal came from the duo of Gudmundsson and Dregushin. This time, Lautaro is present for the visitors, while the key leaders of that Genoa side are absent. Additionally, the Griffons will be without goalkeeper Josep Martinez, who will sit on the bench for the Milan team. In other words, all pre-match indicators favor Inter.