Lecce vs Genoa: Preview and Prediction

May 24, 2026 21:45. Lecce
Serie A, Round 38

Where to watch: Megogo

Lecce vs Genoa: bookmakers' odds

Lecce

Lecce defeated Sassuolo 3-2, scoring the winning goal in the 96th minute.

"It's a victory of the heart. Our attacking spirit and discipline paid off, although our defense was far from perfect. "We were a bit lucky, but the boys deserved it with their hard work in training," said Eusebio Di Francesco.

The three points lifted Lecce to 35th place and left them in 17th, a crucial one-point gap above the relegation zone, where Cremonese are in 34th place.

Media reports suggest that Di Francesco has instilled in them a fighting mentality. Losing 2-0 away but pulling off a narrow victory is a sign of strong psychological preparation.

Genoa, under Daniele De Rossi, have already secured survival and are in 14th place with 41 points, playing without pressure. Everything is at stake for Lecce: a win would guarantee their promotion to the top flight, regardless of the result at Cremonese.

Genoa

De Rossi was unable to help Roma stop Milan. The more motivated visitors won 2-1 at Luigi Ferraris's, as Genoa lacked composure in attack.

Nevertheless, the press is calling this period a triumph for De Rossi, who took over the team midway through the season when it was in crisis. Genoa's safety was assured even before the Milan match, and the Italian media is giving Daniele full credit.

They scored nine more points in the second half of the season than in the first. Before the defeat to Milan, they drew 0-0 with Atalanta and Fiorentina.

The match against Lecce will be a personal derby for De Rossi against former Roma player Di Francesco. Although nothing has been decided for Genoa, the coach still wants his players to "end the season with honor".

Last week, Genoa's medical staff confirmed that De Rossi will be without key players Junior Messias, Brook Norton-Cuffie and Maxwell Cornet.

This match will be Ruslan Malinovsky's last for Genoa. The Ukrainian will continue his career at Trabzonspor on a 2+1 contract. "I love Genoa and I only want to say positive things. I have received enormous support and love from the whole city. One club showed serious interest and I accepted. "I hug everyone tightly," he said. "Next season we will not have a copy of Ruslan. It is the loss of a player with great international experience and a unique shot, but we respect his choice," De Rossi added. The coach will release the experienced midfielder in the starting lineup to allow him to close his Italian chapter in style after 75 matches, 10 goals and 8 assists for the Griffins. Lecce vs. Gennaio: Predicted lineups. Team lineups. src="/ua/football/get-prediction-lineup/us-lecce-genoa-cfc-2026-05-24" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox" width="950" height="756" content="responsive" class="lazyload"

Lecce vs. Genoa: Author's Prediction

Lecce will be watching the parallel match between Cremonese and Como. Given Como's motivation, Cremonese is unlikely to win. This may allow Lecce to play cautiously against Genoa.

I'm betting on a draw. Even if Cremonese takes three points, Lecce may still find it difficult to beat Genoa. Di Francesco was relegated with Frosinone and Venezia in the previous two seasons...