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

One of four winless teams in Serie A, Genoa will try to end their drought on Sunday, when they welcome fellow strugglers Parma to Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

Both sides went into the international break with a defeat, leaving them stuck at the wrong end of the standings.

Match preview

Having previously lost to Bologna and Lazio, there was brief hope of causing an upset against league leaders Napoli last time out, before Genoa succumbed to their third straight reverse.

Teenage striker Jeff Ekhator - a surprise selection up front - had put the Grifone ahead with a neat flick, and they held on to that lead until after half time. However, the Italian champions then fought back, scoring twice to condemn Patrick Vieira's men to another defeat.

As a result, Genoa have made their worst start to a Serie A season since 2017, and they sit second-bottom of the table with just two points on the board.

Despite making a big impact initially, Vieira's overall record is now worse than that of his predecessor Alberto Gilardino, who was shown the door this time last year.

So far this term, Vieira's only victories have come in the Coppa Italia, where his team beat lower-tier sides Vicenza and Empoli to set up a last-16 clash with Atalanta BC.

While such form suggests they face a season-long struggle, recent history indicates they may finally get off the mark in Serie A: the Rossoblu have won all of their last three top-flight meetings with Parma.

Beaten 1-0 both home and away by Genoa during the 2025-26 campaign, Parma will now head to Liguria leading their hosts in the table.

However, the Gialloblu's sole win was against Torino at the end of September, and they have also scored just three goals across their first six Serie A matches.

Carlos Cuesta’s men secured their first league success on the back of a draw with Cremonese and a cup win over Spezia, taking them up to three games without defeat - but that run was halted just before international football intervened.

Losing 1-0 at home to potential relegation rivals Lecce was a bitter blow to take, and Parma's young coach is already coming under pressure to turn things around.

Cuesta’s side have failed to score in three Serie A away games so far, and firing another blank at Marassi could prove costly.

Meanwhile, in a bid to fix flaws at the other end, the Parma boss fielded an unfamiliar back four in last week's friendly win against Monza, so it may be a new-look XI that takes to the pitch this weekend.

Genoa Serie A form:

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Genoa form (all competitions):

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Parma Serie A form:

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Parma form (all competitions):

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Team News

Genoa will be without injured centre-back Leo Ostigard (ribs) and midfield creator Nicolae Stanciu (thigh) on Sunday.

It remains to be seen whether Junior Messias can overcome an ongoing adductor problem, while Ivorian winger Maxwel Cornet is also a doubt.

Former first-choice striker Lorenzo Colombo has yet to get off the mark this season, so 18-year-old Ekhator could continue to lead the Grifone's attack.

Meanwhile, Parma's front line should feature the aerial threat of top scorer Mateo Pellegrino, with support provided by Patrick Cutrone.

The visitors are still missing the injured quartet of Hernani, Lautaro Valenti, Matija Frigan and Jacob Ondrejka, and they have been joined in the treatment room by wing-back Emanuele Valeri.

The latter is set to miss the rest of this month with a sprained ankle, so Cuesta could consider a formation change, as trialled in a recent friendly.

Genoa possible starting lineup:

Leali; Norton-Cuffy, Marcandalli, Vasquez, Martin; Frendrup, Masini; Ellertsson, Malinovskyi, Vitinha; Ekhator

Parma possible starting lineup:

Suzuki; Delprato, Circati, Ndiaye; Britschgi, Sorensen, Keita, Bernabe, Lovik; Cutrone, Pellegrino