Genoa coach Daniele De Rossi is back on his old feet to face former club Roma on Wednesday after another blow to his confidence. In fact, Gian Piero Gasperini’s men are not the only team unbeaten in Serie A this season after their midweek Champions League clash.
Donyell Malen responded strongly to his suspension against Como last weekend, scoring a second-half goal to give Roma a 3-1 lead against Real Madrid. However, conceding three goals in seven minutes condemned the Giallorossi to their first competitive defeat since April, snapping Gasperini’s side from an impressive 14-game unbeaten run (W10, D4).
Malen Gasperini will be without Gasperini tomorrow when Roma try to bounce back from a 4-3 defeat against De Rossi’s Genoa side. The visitors should travel in high spirits after scoring twice in the opening 15 minutes to beat Fiorentina 2-1 at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris last weekend and secure their first league win of the season (D1, M4).
It’s questionable whether the Griffins can go back-to-back for the first time since April, especially considering they’ve already lost in Rome this season. Lazio got the better of them at the end of August when Davide Frattesi’s first-half winner made the difference in a tightly contested match.
Match preview
Rome
Roma are on the brink of a major milestone as they look to bounce back from Wednesday’s heartbreak. Despite consecutive draws by Inter and Como, the Giallorossi managed to break the 17-point barrier with a win here after opening seven rounds of Serie A for the first time since 2014/15.
Knowing that they are unbeaten in any of their last 15 league matches at the Olimpico, few would be against Roma achieving this feat (11, D4). Moreover, they have historically been dominant in this fixture and have suffered just one defeat in their last 40 top-flight meetings with Genoa at home (33, D6).
However, a 3-1 defeat at Marassi in their last Serie A match should warn Roma not to take anything for granted. Given that five of Roma’s last six wins have come with clean sheets, it may be important to rediscover defensive solidity after conceding too many goals in two of their last three competitive outings.
This assumption is especially vital when factoring in Male’s absence. The Dutch forward has scored six of Roma’s 14 league goals this season, accounting for around 43% of their total.
Genoa
Summer signing Milutin Osmajic continued his Serie A dream by scoring his first goal of the season against Fiorentina. The Montenegro international has scored 60% of Genoa’s Serie A goals in the 2026/27 season and is likely to be Roma’s most serious goal threat alongside former Giallorossi player Stephan El Shaarawy.
Given that they have conceded at least once in their last six top-flight matches, finding points for Genoa may not be as problematic as keeping Roma out. It’s also worth noting that they haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last three Serie A outings, including a 21-run defeat at second-placed Parma last time out.
De Rossi must find a way to stop the bleeding if Genoa are to win Serie A at Roma for the first time since 1990. Three league defeats in a row at Olimpico does not bode well for the visitors.
Team News
Along with Malen, who faces a one-game ban, Roma will also be without starting goalkeeper Mile Svilar and star midfielder Manu Kone. The Frenchman had to come off early against Real Madrid with a muscle strain, and Niccolo Pisilli, who replaced him in that match, is likely to return to the starting line-up in Bryan Cristante’s absence. Paulo Dybala is also a doubt.
Genoa, on the other hand, have to deal with a huge injury list. None of Lorenzo Colombo, Jibril Sou, Elias Havel, Ethan Meichtri and Lorenzo Venturino will be at De Rossi’s disposal for this clash. However, Junior Messias, who scored at home to Roma last season, will join forces with Osmajic in attack after scoring against Fiorentina.
“Roma” – “Genoa” potential starting teams
Roma (3-4-2-1): Gollini; Mancini, Balerdi, Hermoso; Rensch, De Roon, Pisilli, Wesley; Soule, Mora; Castro.
Genoa (3-4-2-1): Bijlow; Otoa, Ostigard, Vasquez; Ehizibue, Frendrup, Traore, Ellertsson; Messias, El Shaarawy; Osmajic.
“Roma” – “Genoa” match prediction
There is probably a universe where De Rossi leads Genoa to their first Serie A win at the Olimpico since the early 1990s. However, we probably don’t live there. Roma are going a year without a league defeat at home and we’re backing them to extend that proud record with another win.
Prediction: “Roma” will win
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