Preview: Cremonese vs Genoa - prediction, team news, lineups

Locked together on points in the race for Serie A survival, Cremonese and Genoa will clash at Stadio Zini on Sunday afternoon.

While Cremo have plummeted down the standings, their visitors had been inching towards safety before suffering two controversial losses.

Match preview

Going 10 games without a win has left Cremonese looking over their shoulders, as last season’s Serie B playoff winners try to preserve their top-flight status.

Since their last victory, they have posted the fewest points (three) and scored the fewest goals (also three) in Serie A, while failing to even score on eight occasions.

Without a goal in four matches before Morten Thorsby scored a stoppage-time consolation in last week’s loss to Atalanta, Davide Nicola's struggling side are nosediving into danger.

Though Cremo made a bright start to their latest comeback campaign - powered by the goals of Federico Bonazzoli and Jamie Vardy - they now lie uncomfortably close to the drop zone.

As a result, renowned survival specialist Nicola - who has both played for and coached Genoa in the past - is under pressure to start turning things around.

Adding to a distinct lack of firepower, home form has become a concern: the Grigiorossi have won just one of their last 10 games at Stadio Zini, recently going 241 minutes without scoring in front of their fans.

So, before taking on top-four contenders AC Milan and Roma in the next fortnight, they must try to exploit Genoa’s dubious defence.

Following a 2-0 defeat in October’s reverse fixture, when Bonazzoli bagged a brace at Stadio Ferraris, Genoa’s last Serie A win over Cremonese still dates back to January 1994.

Like their hosts, the Grifone currently sit just above the relegation zone, after some impressive progress was checked by costly back-to-back defeats.

Remarkably, each of Genoa’s last three games has finished 3-2: following a late win against Bologna, they were beaten by Lazio’s last-gasp penalty at Stadio Olimpico, before suffering a similar fate last time out.

All set for a commendable home draw with Napoli, the Ligurian side then conceded another stoppage-time spot kick, which had been controversially awarded to the Italian champions.

Only fellow strugglers Fiorentina have dropped more points than Genoa’s 20 so far, and that represents the Rossoblu’s worst tally at this stage of any top-flight campaign since 2013.

Despite such setbacks, since Daniele De Rossi was appointed in November his team have still taken 17 points from 14 matches, while only Inter Milan, Juventus and Como have scored more goals.

Cremonese Serie A form:

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Genoa Serie A form:

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Team News

Though Cremonese can welcome back key midfielder Jari Vandeputte, who has been struggling with a muscle strain, Nicola will still be without injured pair Michele Collocolo and Warren Bondo.

Mikayil Faye and Matteo Bianchetti are minor doubts, but recent loan signing Thorsby should start against his parent club.

Set to partner Vardy up front, Bonazzoli has four career strikes against Genoa - including his match-winning double in October - but he has been stuck on five league goals for several weeks.

By contrast, Genoa midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi has just scored in three consecutive appearances, while Lorenzo Colombo’s goal against Napoli was his sixth in Serie A this season, equalling his personal best.

Only back-up goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist is ruled out by injury, as Roma loanee Tommaso Baldanzi could finally be fit enough for a place on the bench.

Cremonese possible starting lineup:

Audero; Terracciano, Baschirotto, Luperto; Barbieri, Thorsby, Payero, Maleh, Pezzella; Bonazzoli, Vardy

Genoa possible starting lineup:

Bijlow; Marcandalli, Ostigard, Vasquez; Norton-Cuffy, Frendrup, Malinovskyi, Ellertsson, Martin; Vitinha, Colombo

We say: Cremonese 1-2 Genoa

As Genoa have been scoring freely under De Rossi - while Cremonese's goals have dried up - the visitors can head back to Liguria with three precious points.

If other results go against them, another defeat could leave Cremo deep in danger - and Nicola fearing for his job.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.