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

Napoli will begin a new era on Saturday evening, when they visit Genoa at Stadio Ferraris for their first Serie A fixture of the season.

While the Partenopei have been adjusting to life after Antonio Conte, their hosts returned to competitive action with a comfortable cup win last week.

Match preview

Though Napoli did not defend the Scudetto successfully last season, trailing in well behind new Serie A champions Inter Milan, they did finish second and lifted the Supercoppa Italiana.

While their title challenge realistically ran out of steam by mid-winter, Conte's reign still produced two trophies before he left Stadio Maradona in familiar fashion.

Having limped out before the knockout rounds, Napoli's Champions League campaign was surely the low point, but new boss Max Allegri will soon get the chance to lead them in this year's league phase.

Despite his return to AC Milan ending in failure, the veteran coach - who once successfully followed Conte at Juventus - has been handed the reins by the Partenopei's outspoken president Aurelio De Laurentiis.

Allegri has a prior connection with the Campanian club, having ended his top-flight playing career in Naples, and pre-season results have generally been positive: after losing their first warm-up, Napoli then posted three wins from four, finishing off with a 6-2 thumping of Aris.

So, with a record of eight wins and 23 goals from their last nine Serie A openers, they should be well set for Saturday's trip to Liguria.

History suggests Napoli must be big favourites, as Genoa have won just one of the clubs' last 26 contests in the Italian top flight.

A tally of 17 defeats during that period features both games last season, including a late 3-2 loss at the Ferraris in February, when Rasmus Hojlund netted a last-gasp winner.

The Rossoblu went on to finish 16th in the league standings, ultimately achieving their goal of Serie A survival.

Though they ended without a win in their final five matches, Daniele De Rossi's side had enjoyed a strong mid-season run that kept them clear of relegation danger.

Now entering his first full campaign with the Ligurian club, De Rossi - who was appointed as Patrick Vieira's successor in November - will be aiming a little higher.

After some disappointing results in pre-season - most notably a humbling 10-1 defeat to Bournemouth - Genoa recently returned to competitive action by beating Ascoli 4-1 in the Coppa Italia.

Genoa form (all competitions):

Napoli pre-season form:

Team News

Napoli's summer business has been quite limited, with Romelu Lukaku leaving for Fenerbahce and Benoit Badiashile set to sign from Chelsea, and Kevin De Bruyne is still in Naples for now.

Young full-back Costantino Favasuli has also arrived, as backup to club captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo.

Allegri will hope Badiashile is ready to play soon, as Sam Beukema and Luca Marianucci have both been injured - albeit Beukema may make the bench this weekend.

Fellow centre-back Alessandro Buongiorno has undergone knee surgery, with his return expected after the international break in November, and Brazilian winger David Neres is also unavailable.

While Hojlund and last season's 10-goal top scorer Scott McTominay will spearhead the visitors' attack, Lorenzo Colombo is set to lead Genoa's.

Five of the latter's seven Serie A goals last term came on home turf, so new signing Elias Havel should start on the bench - both strikers scored against Ascoli.

Jeff Ekhator and Ruslan Malinovskyi were notable exits, while Mario Mitaj has joined on loan from Al-Ittihad and got an assist on his debut; however, fellow signing Hamed Traore is currently injured.

Genoa possible starting lineup:

Bijlow; Marcandalli, Ostigard, Vasquez; Norton-Cuffy, Frendrup, Sow, Mitaj; Baldanzi, Vitinha; Colombo

Napoli possible starting lineup:

Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Marin, Spinazzola; Anguissa, Lobotka, McTominay; Politano, Hojlund, Alisson