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

Unbeaten in four Serie A games, Genoa welcome out-of-form Bologna to Stadio Luigi Ferraris in round 22, looking to go five without losing for the second time this season.

Daniele De Rossi’s men have risen to 16th in the table following their commendable run of form, while the visitors from Emilia-Romagna have seen European aspirations falter due to their one-win-in-nine spell.

Match preview

Just when it seemed like Genoa’s new manager bounce under De Rossi was fading, the Ligurians have avoided losing in four consecutive top-flight matches, having lost the previous three in a row.

Even if wins are still few and far between — the Rossoblu have won one in seven league games — the Grifone head into Sunday’s fixture without a defeat in four matches, beating Cagliari 3-0 and playing out draws with Pisa, AC Milan and last week’s 0-0 stalemate at Parma.

Having kept back-to-back clean sheets in the league for the first time this season and first time since April 2025 — when they beat Udinese (1-0) and drew with Hellas Verona (0-0) — De Rossi’s team aim to record three consecutive shutouts in the Italian top flight this weekend.

Already three points clear of 18th heading into this weekend, the 16th-placed hosts have recent history in this fixture on their side, considering that they have fallen to two defeats in the last 10 meetings, winning five and drawing three.

Despite ranking eight places behind the visitors, the form table makes the Grifone favourites to extend their unbeaten streak to five, matching an earlier spell between early November and the start of December before suffering three straight losses.

It remains to be seen if Bologna offer any resistance on Sunday, something that has seemed lacking in Vincenzo Italiano’s team lately.

The Felsinei’s alarming drop-off could be traced to a shock 3-1 home defeat to Cremonese on December 1, a defeat in Emilia-Romagna that snapped the Greyhounds’ three-match winning streak and nine-game unbeaten sequence.

Including the defeat to Davide Nicola’s team, Bologna have now failed to claim maximum points in eight of nine Serie A contests, only defeating bottom-placed Verona 3-2 during that time to highlight their ongoing slide.

Last weekend’s 2-1 defeat to former side Fiorentina in the Derby dell'Appennino marked Italiano’s seventh loss in Serie A in 2025-26, and their defensive frailties continued during the week as they drew 2-2 against 10-man Celtic.

The Veltri have now failed to keep a clean sheet in 15 matches across all competitions, conceding two or more in three matches in a row and in five of the last six, pointing to where most of their issues currently lie.

Those results in the league must improve, however, if eighth-placed Bologna are to have any shot of chasing down Como in sixth, whom they trail by seven points heading into gameweek 22.

Genoa Serie A form:

Bologna Serie A form:

Bologna form (all competitions):

Team News

Stefano Sabelli, withdrawn due to an apparent injury against Parma, could join Caleb Ekuban, Albert Gronbaek and Benjamin Siegrist on the sidelines.

Also absent is goalscoring centre-back Leo Ostigard, who was booked at Parma, ruling out the four-goal defender on Sunday through suspension.

With the club's second top-scorer suspended, Lorenzo Colombo will aim to be decisive for the hosts, seeking to add to his five Serie A goals, four of which have come at Marassi.

Bologna’s Riccardo Orsolini should be reinstated into the XI after starting Thursday’s Europa League draw on the bench, bidding to improve on his three goals in this fixture and seven this season.

The seven-goal forward and Santiago Castro (six goals) have both netted two match-winning goals this term, and they head into this weekend striving to add to their match-deciding efforts.

Still, Castro’s availability will be assessed as the forward missed Thursday’s draw because of illness; however, Juan Miranda (suspension), Jhon Lucumi (hamstring), Federico Bernardeschi (collarbone) and Martin Vitik (hamstring) are absent.

Genoa possible starting lineup:

Leali; Marcandalli, Otoa, Vasquez; Norton-Cuffy, Frendrup, Malinovskyi, Ellertsson, Martin; Vitinha, Colombo

Bologna possible starting lineup:

Ravaglia; Holm, Casale, Heggem, Lykogiannis; Freuler, Ferguson; Orsolini, Odgaard, Cambiaghi; Dalling