Genoa vs Inter Milan

Serie A pacesetters Inter Milan head to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris to meet Genoa in their last match of 2023.

Genoa’s bid to lock down Serie A survival in their comeback campaign is going according to plan after back-to-back unbeaten league games (W1, D1) steered them six points clear of 18th-placed Cagliari. Alberto Gilardino’s side ought to take the field in a confident mood after following up a hard-earned 1-1 home draw against Juventus with a stunning come-from-behind 2-1 victory at Sassuolo last time out. However, ‘Il Grifone’ can’t afford to rest on their laurels, knowing they’ve suffered an ominous-looking seven defeats in eight matches against Inter (D1) since last beating them in a Serie A fixture in February 2018. It’s even more concerning they’ve failed to get on the scoresheet in their four most recent league H2Hs on home turf, succumbing to multi-goal margin defeats on three occasions (D1).

On the other hand, visiting Inter Milan have gone from strength to strength since a 1-1 draw at second-placed Juventus in late November, clocking up a four-game winning streak in Serie A to create a four-point buffer at the summit. Odds-on favorites to maintain their imperious domestic form, ‘I Nerazzurri’ take this trip as the division’s best travelers, having won seven out of eight away league games in 2023/24 (D1). On top of that, they’re the most formidable defensive team in Europe’s top-five divisions, with 12 clean sheets from 17 Serie A matches under their belt. Inter’s impenetrable backline isn’t their only prominent feature, although Lautaro Martinez’s absence due to injury could derail their quest to extend a 25-game scoring run in the top flight.