This could well be Serie A’s relegation decider for the season, as only one point separates these two sides in the battle for top-flight survival.
Serie A 2019/2020
Date: Sunday July 19
Kick-off: 18:30
Venue: Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris
Genoa are arguably in worse current form than their rivals coming into this very important one, as the only side they have managed to beat since the restart was rock bottom SPAL and they even made heavy work of that.
More worrying is that they put up little or no fight when they went down 3-0 to Torino last time, a fourth defeat in seven games, so Davide Nicola will surely be getting worried.
With only one top-six team (Inter) left for them to play, coupled with the solitary point lead they have on Lecce, The Griffins have their destiny in their hands, and will only shoot themselves in the foot by falling to their 18th league defeat to a team they are in direct battle with.
Sitting in 18th, Lecce on their part can ill-afford another defeat here. Fiorentina were the lastest side to take three points off them in a 3-1 defeat in midweek.
Fabio Liverani’s side looked on course for an impressive run when they beat Lazio 2-1 and drew Cagliari in their last two preceding the loss, but will now brace up and play the game of their lives to save their skin following promotion from Serie B last season.
Genoa are unbeaten against Lecce in their last ten meetings, winning seven and drawing thrice including the reverse fixture which ended 2-2.
Team news
Genoa
Cristian Romero is unavailable for selection for the hosts here.
He is joined on the sidelines by the duo of Ivan Radovanovic and Peter Ankersen.
Lecce
Liverani will have a lengthy number of absentees to contend with as Gianluca Lapadula, Luca Rossettini, Biagio, Meccariello, Marco Calderoni and Filippo Falco are all ruled out of the trip to Genova.
Head to Head
Genoa are unbeaten against Lecce in their last ten meetings, winning seven and drawing thrice including the reverse fixture which ended 2-2.
Team form
Genoa last five competitive games: LDLWL
Lecce last five competitive games: LLWDL
Betting tips
Taking a cursory look at what this game mean for the competitors, it is easy to evince that a cagey, tense affair is on the cards for this game. Neither side can afford to drop maximum points as the pressure to secure their status in the echelon of Italian football continue to build with every passing game.
And then, neither of these sides are in great shape to warrant backing for an outright victory, so we like honours to be even at the end of this encounter. A goalless draw is priced 14/1 by BetClever, while you can get odds of 14/5 for a stalemate at any scoreline here.
