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Genoa welcome Cagliari to the Luigi Ferraris Stadium on Sunday a the round 19 fixture of the Italian Serie A.
The hosts are currently 16th in the standings with 15 points and have lost just one game in their last five outings.
Cagliari are a point and a place behind the hosts in the league table. They have endured a loss in their last five league fixtures and are yet to pick up a point in the league in 2021.
Also See: 10 highest-paid players in the Serie A this season (2020/21)
Genoa vs Cagliari Head-to-Head
The two sides have crossed paths 68 times so far across all competitions. The fixtures have been evenly contested between the two, with 23 wins for Il Grifone and 27 for Gli Isolani.
They have shared the spoils in the remaining 18 encounters. The hosts have four wins and a draw in their last five home meetings against Cagliari.
The two teams last squared off almost a year ago in Serie A. Genoa recorded a 1-0 win at Sunday's venue in that fixture.
Genoa form guide across all competitions: D-L-W-L-D
Cagliari form guide across all competitions: L-L-L-L-L
Genoa vs Cagliari Team News
Genoa
The hosts will be without the services of Cristian Zapata and Davide Biraschi on account of injuries.
Francesco Cassata and Vittorio Parigini face late fitness tests and their involvement in this game against the Sardinians remain in doubt.
Gianluca Scamacca, Mattia Destro, and Luca Pellegrini returned to training earlier this week and are in contention to make an appearance, albeit as substitutes.
Injured: Cristian Zapata, Davide Biraschi
Doubtful: Francesco Cassata, Vittorio Parigini
Suspended: None
Cagliari
For Eusebio Di Francesco, Marko Rog is a long-term absentee after undergoing knee surgery last month. He will likely return to action in the 2021-22 season. Adam Ounas is also expected to sit this one out.
Paolo Faragò is expected to leave the club this month and is not likely to be picked for this trip to Northwest Italy.
Andrea Carboni and Zito Luvumbo face late fitness tests.
Injured: Marko Rog, Adam Ounas
Doubtful: Paolo Faragò, Andrea Carboni, Zito Luvumbo
Suspended: None
Genoa vs Cagliari Predicted XI
Genoa Predicted XI (3-5-2): Mattia Perin; Domenico Criscito, Ivan Radovanovic, Andrea Masiello; Davide Zappacosta, Valon Behrami, Milan Badelj, Miha Zajc, Lennart Czyborra; Marko Pjaca, Eldor Shomurodov
Cagliari Predicted XI (4-3-2-1): Alessio Cragno; Gabriele Zappa, Diego Godin, Sebastian Walukiewicz, Charalampos Lykogiannis; Riccardo Sottil, Razvan Marin, Radja Nainggolan; Christian Oliva, Joao Pedro; Giovanni Simeone
Genoa vs Cagliari Prediction
Of the two sides, Genoa have scored fewer goals in Serie A this campaign. With just 18 goals to their name, they have the joint-second worst attacking record in the Italian top-flight.
They have managed to keep two back-to-back clean sheets in the league and are also heading into the home game in better form than Cagliari.
The visitors have lost six games on the spin across all competitions and have just scored four goals in that period. We do not expect them to test the Genoa defenders on Sunday.
We predict a win for the hosts and the odds of a third clean sheet in a row are also looking good.
Prediciton: Genoa 1-0 Cagliari
