Genoa will look to move further away from the relegation zone, while Lecce will aim to bounce back after three consecutive defeats

Serie A Enilive matchday 29 gets underway at the Luigi Ferraris with Genoa vs Lecce, who will be in action at 20:45 CET.

The home side will aim to get back to winning ways, following two draws against Empoli and Cagliari. They will also want to reward their fans with a win, something that they’ve not seen since 17 February, in order to move further away from the relegation zone.

However, Marco Giampaolo’s side find themselves in a battle for survival. They have not won since their match against Parma on 31 January, and since then have only gained two points in the following five matches, drawing against Bologna and Monza and losing the last three against Udinese, Fiorentina and AC Milan.

HEAD TO HEAD

Lecce have won just one of their last 15 Serie A games against Genoa (D6 L8), 1-0 in September 2023 thanks to a goal from Rémi Oudin; however, the Giallorossi have avoided defeat in five of their last seven meetings with them in the competition (W1 D4).

Genoa are unbeaten in each of their eight home games against Lecce in Serie A (W6 D2); only against Venezia (nine) have they had more home matches in the competition without ever suffering defeat.

Genoa have won six of their last seven games against Lecce that have come in the second half of the season in Serie A (D1), scoring at least two goals in each of those matches (2.7 goals on average).

DID YOU KNOW?

Lecce have won 25 points in Serie A this season (W6 D7 L15), the same number they obtained after the same number of games last season; they have only recorded more defeats (15 currently) after their first 29 games of the season on three occasions in Serie A in the three points for a win era (17 in 1997/98, 19 in 2005/06 and 16 in 2019/20).

Since Patrick Vieira`s first Serie A home game in charge of Genoa on November 24^th, no team have conceded fewer home goals than the Rossoblu in the top-flight (five – level with Napoli).

PLAYERS

Ruslan Malinovskyi (one goal and one assist in his last four league games against Lecce) made his return to the pitch last time out, 167 days since his previous Serie A appearance; the Genoa man (149) is close to 150 appearances in Serie A and could become the second Ukrainian player to reach this milestone in the three points for a win era, after Andriy Shevchenko (226).

Since Patrick Vieira joined Genoa, Fabio Miretti has played each of the club’s 16 league games, completing more dribbles than any other Genoa player in that period (18); he is also the only Grifone player to create 15+ chances (16) and take at least 15 total shots (19) in Serie A in that time.

Nikola Krstovic has scored nine goals in Serie A this season; Peru’s Gianluca Lapadula is the only foreign player to hit double figures for goals in a single Serie A season for Lecce over the last 20 seasons.

DISCIPLINE 

Suspended: none

Cautioned: Martin (Genoa); Rafia, Pierotti, Ramadani (Lecce)

REFEREE

MARESCA (SCATRAGLI – ZINGARELLI) IV: GALIPO’, VAR: MAZZOLENI, AVAR: CAMPLONE

UPCOMING MATCHES IN SERIE A

Juventus-Genoa (Saturday 29 March, 18.00 CET)

Lecce-Roma (Saturday 29 March, 20.45 CET)

(Photo Getty Images)

Genoa Lecce Serie A