Preview: Genoa vs. Sassuolo - prediction, team news, lineups

Still in need of points to secure Serie A survival, Genoa welcome in-form Sassuolo to Stadio Luigi Ferraris in Sunday's early kickoff.

While the resurgent visitors have won four of their last five, their Ligurian hosts have now picked up only five points from their previous six outings to drift back into danger.

Match preview

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After Genoa suffered their third setback in five league games - a 4-3 defeat against Lazio at Stadio Olimpico last Sunday - they find themselves still flirting with the drop zone coming into the final four fixtures of an eventful campaign.

Lacking focus in the first half cost Davide Ballardini's men dearly versus the Champions League-chasing Aquile, so even a spirited second-half fightback - including late strikes from in-demand forward Gianluca Scamacca and Uzbek striker Eldor Shomurodov - was not enough to rescue a point in the capital.

Imposing striker Scammaca, who models his game on that of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, has apparently drawn interest from some of Serie A's top brass - and Italy manager Roberto Mancini was in the stands as the on-loan forward dispatched his 80th-minute penalty against the national coach's former club.

The Sassuolo-owned forward's primary concern in the coming weeks, though, must be to fire his team to safety - with selection for the Euros still only an outside possibility.

In fact, Scamacca and company are now looking nervously over their shoulders, as Genoa are just five points clear of the bottom three and have yet to face form sides Sassuolo and Atalanta before the season reaches its climax later this month.

The Grifone did, nevertheless, manage to survive with a total of just 39 points last year and could equal that tally with a win on Sunday.

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On target yet again in last weekend's 1-1 draw at home to high-flying Atalanta, star striker Domenico Berardi's second-half penalty took him onto 16 Serie A goals from an injury-interrupted campaign for Sassuolo.

Red cards for either side and a penalty save were among the talking points from an absorbing encounter, as the visitors went down to 10 men early on and Manuel Locatelli also had a well-taken 'goal' ruled offside.

After Berardi's intervention - which effectively hastened the crowning of Inter as Scudetto winners - his similarly lauded coach Roberto De Zerbi insisted that the eighth-placed Neroverdi's aim of qualifying for Europe remains alive, following their recent renaissance and close rivals Roma's disintegration.

As the Emilian outfit are now just two points behind the once-distant Giallorossi, they can still feasibly finish seventh - which would improve on last term's achievement and take them into continental competition for just the second time in their history.

A recent run in which they have staged a sensational comeback at San Siro to defeat Milan, then edged to a 1-0 win over Sampdoria before holding second-placed Atalanta, sees them travel to Marassi full of confidence - particularly as they have beaten Genoa in both of their last two meetings, by an aggregate of seven goals to one.

Team News

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Continuing a long injury absence dating back to the international period in March, first-choice centre-forward Francesco Caputo could remain sidelined for Sassuolo this weekend. Due to the Azzurri star's back injury, young Giacomo Raspadori or French forward Gregoire Defrel will start up front for the visitors on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Filip Djuricic returned from suspension last week but had to make do with a place on the bench, with Hamed Traore's fine form helping him keep his place in the forward line. However, the pair's roles could be reversed this time out, as the former is set to start alongside Jeremie Boga and Domenico Berardi.

Centre-back Marlon is suspended after his late sending off against Atalanta, so Gian Marco Ferrari will come back into Roberto De Zerbi's side.

For hosts Genoa, wing-back Luca Pellegrini remains out of contention with a thigh injury, and he has been joined on the sidelines by defender Davide Biraschi - ruled out for the rest of the season after sustaining a groin tear in the defeat to Lazio.

That injury brings to a premature end a campaign which Biraschi had missed most of with a shoulder injury, so either Cristian Zapata or Edoardo Goldaniga will come into the Grifone's back three in his place.

Veteran forward Goran Pandev, meanwhile, returns from a one-game ban to make Davide Ballardini's squad. The Macedonian striker is set to feature from the bench, with Mattia Destro and Gianluca Scamacca firm favourites to start up front.

Genoa possible starting lineup:
Perin; Masiello, Radovanovic, Goldaniga; Zappacosta, Strootman, Badelj, Zajc, Czyborra; Scamacca, Destro

Sassuolo possible starting lineup:
Consigli; Muldur, Chiriches, Ferrari, Kyriakopoulos; Locatelli, Obiang; Berardi, Djuricic, Boga; Raspadori

We say: Genoa 2-2 Sassuolo

Genoa have fared far better at home than away - and striker Gianluca Scamacca may have a point to prove against his parent club - so they can emerge from what is set to be an entertaining encounter with a share of the spoils against in-form Sassuolo.

Though the Neroverdi have regained some of their early-season swagger since Domenico Berardi's return, they may find themselves held up in their pursuit of seventh place by a potentially potent Genoa attack.

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