Inter - Genoa. Prediction and Match Preview

February 28, 2026 21:45. Milan. Giuseppe Meazza
Serie A, Round 27

Where to watch: Megogo

Inter - Genoa: Bookmaker odds

Inter

For the newspapers, Inter's defeat by Bode/Glimt on February 24 at San Siro is the perfect excuse to claim that Christian Chivu's move from Primavera to head coach of a giant like Inter was premature. The press, which yesterday praised Christian for his courage and promotion of youth, today criticizes him for the lack of a "plan B".

The main complaint: the coach tried to play open, romantic football against Bode, forgetting about the tough Italian tactics. “Cristiano forgot that in Europe, positioning errors are punished not by children, but by ruthless Vikings,” wrote Gazzetta dello Sport.

Journalists (especially from Corriere dello Sport) point out that Chivu has transferred his youth team methods to the first team, and it has not worked: the Norwegians simply threw the ball behind the backs of defenders who looked confused without clear instructions. The press is destroying the coach for his late and illogical decisions. “Chivu watched the field as a spectator, not a conductor,” wrote one observer.

In Italy, they love the “ten-point shame scale.” After that match, Chivu received a record low 4 points from most publications.

The team stopped listening to the coach after the 60th minute, when the game turned into chaos. The question arises: does the legend of 2010 have enough authority in the locker room to force the stars to make an effort in defense?

Italian journalists conclude: "Chivu is a risk that did not pay off." If Inzaghi was forgiven for his experience, Chivu is reminded of everything - from the lack of a "higher level" license (in the metaphorical sense) to "too soft" behavior for such failures.

"Inter stepped on a rake, entrusting the helm to someone who knows the club's colors perfectly, but seems to have no idea how to stop the Norwegian express" - the final chord from Tuttosport.

After the "arctic rain" from the Norwegians, where Chivu was criticized for excessively open football and a high defensive line, training focused on balance and protection from counterattacks. Particular attention was paid to Lautaro and Thuram, who had received extremely low ratings (4.5–5.0) in the previous game. Before the match against Genoa, the press demanded that they rediscover their “killer instinct”.

Kivu needed to prove that he could control the locker room, and the team’s stars were ready to “hammer” in defense, and not rely solely on individual class.

Genoa

While Inter prepared for the match against Genoa in an atmosphere of mourning and pressure, Genoa was in a real euphoria at the end of February 2026. The team led by Daniele De Rossi approached the confrontation with the league leaders in peak form. The match on February 22, 2026 at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium became the benchmark for the Griffins. The press called it "De Rossi's tactical masterclass" as he literally tore Torino apart.

Italian newspapers highlighted the incredible work of Ruslan Malinovsky, who led the game in midfield (he played 85 minutes and received high marks - about 7.5 points).

De Rossi had been studying Bode/Glimt's victory over Inter all week. He realized that the Nerazzurri, led by Chivu, were extremely vulnerable to vertical attacks and high pressing. Unlike Inter, who arrived in Genoa on "shaky feet" after media criticism, Junai's players were at their best. At Pella's training session, De Rossi stressed that "now is the best moment to dethrone the king." Given how Bodo had crushed Inter's flanks, De Rossi had specifically prepared Norton-Caffe and Messias for aggressive runs behind Dimarco and Dumfries. The headline in Il Secolo XIX read: "De Rossi prepares 'red-blue' poison for Inter's injured Chiva." Inter - Genoa: Expected Lineups Inter - Genoa: Expected Lineups title="Team Lineups" src="/ua/football/get-prediction-lineup/inter-milano-genoa-cfc-2026-03-01" width="950" height="756" content="responsive" class="lazyload"

“Inter” - “Genoa”: Author's Prediction

Genoa approached the game as the most dangerous team in the bottom half of the table, with a 6-point margin from the relegation zone and absolute confidence in their abilities.

Inter arrived not just tired, but also morally crushed after being eliminated from the Champions League on February 24. Chivu could not find words in the locker room. His quote "the players gave it their all" after a 1-2 defeat to the Norwegians enraged the tifosi.

The team is in a state of "grogi". A first goal conceded by Genoa could set off a chain reaction of panic, just like in the match against Buda.

Inter's defence under Chivu has deteriorated in set pieces and free kicks (zonal marking is a problem). Genoa has Ruslan Malinovskyi, whose laser-guided crosses and long-range shots are a nightmare for the Nerazzurri goalkeeper, especially when defenders are nervous.

Prediction – X2.