After reaching the round of 16 in the last three seasons, Genoa will be hoping to reach that stage of the Coppa Italia again as they host SPAL at Stadio Luigi Ferrans on Tuesday evening.
Their opponents, now under new management, have already improved on their cup performance from last season after they beat Serie A side Empoli in the first round and will be hoping that this game away from the league can help end their run of four games without a victory.
Match preview
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Genoa have started life in Serie B well, currently sitting fifth, just one point off the top of the table, as they look to immediately return to Serie A after relegation last season.
Progression in this competition will allow them to potentially test themselves against Serie A opposition, to help assess how much they have improved since the disappointment of their last campaign.
Alexander Blessin's side have won their last four games, which included a 2-0 away victory against SPAL, in a fixture where Genoa had five shots on target compared to the one of their opponents, with Massimo Coda scoring his second goal of the season, a total he added to again on Saturday against Cosenza.
Il Grifone have performed much better away from home this season, so this cup fixture could be a chance to kickstart their form in front of their own fans, as they have only won once in four home games, drawing the other three and only scoring four times.
The lack of goals was a key reason why Genoa were relegated last season, only scoring 27 times in 38 games, and is something they are still struggling with, as their top scorer Coda only has three so far. Fortunately, they have been defensively strong this season, conceding just six times in nine games.
The new man now in charge of SPAL, former Roma captain Daniele De Rossi, has taken charge of the club in his first managerial job after Roberto Venturato was fired by the club shortly after their defeat to Frosinone.
A 0-0 draw against Cittadella was his first game in charge and this cup game could be a chance for him to get to know his wider squad.
SPAL have now been in Serie B for three seasons and have not had much success in trying to return to Serie A, with their best league finish being ninth, the first season after they were relegated from the top division.
The 2020-21 season did however provide their best run in the Coppa Italia in 40 years, with an appearance in the quarter-final, where they lost 4-0 to Juventus.
After the disappointment of being knocked out in the first round by Benevento last season, they will be hoping to progress even further than the second round this campaign.
After a season when their best-performing forwards only scored six goals each in the whole campaign, SPAL entered the market for a new striker and landed upon Andrea La Mantia from Empoli. La Mantia has started the season in decent form so far, scoring four times, which has already surpassed his goal tally from last campaign where he was mostly used as a substitute.
SPAL will be hoping that this break from league action gives them an opportunity to find some form and pick up their first victory in four games and a first win for new manager De Rossi, with the added incentive of getting some revenge on Genoa for the league defeat.
Team News
Genoa will be without Mattia Bani, who picked up a red card in their last league game against Cosenza, with either Alessandro Vogliacco or Stefan Ilsanker likely to replace him.
With this being a cup game, there is some chance of rotation, especially as there was only one change in the lineup for the fixture on the weekend, which could give players like Kelvin Yeboah and Guven Yalcin an opportunity.
New SPAL boss De Rossi may use this game as an opportunity to get to know his wider squad or he may use it as a chance to get his starters used to his system.
SPAL deployed a 5-3-2 system for the first time this season during De Rossi's opening match in charge, with Niccolo Zanellato dropping out of the midfield to allow for a more defensive system.
Fringe players such as Georgi Tunjov and Simone Rabbi may be given an opportunity in this game to show their new boss they deserve a place in the starting 11.
Genoa possible starting lineup:
Martinez; Pajac, Dragusin, Vogliacco, Sabelli; Strootman, Frendrup, Guomundsson, Yalcin, Jagiello; Coda
SPAL possible starting lineup:
Alfonso; Tripaldelli, Mura, Meccariello, Peda, Dickmann; Maistro, Esposito, Tunjov; Moncini, La Mantia
We say: Genoa 2-0 SPAL
With Genoa in good league form, they will be confident heading into the game against SPAL, who are still getting used to the ideas of their new manager.
We would expect Genoa to continue their unbeaten run, as they also beat SPAL recently in the league.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
