Aiming to continue their long dominance of Genoa in Serie A, Roma visit Stadio Luigi Ferraris on Thursday night, when they also seek just a second league win of the season.
While the Giallorossi conceded a late leveller against Torino at the weekend, to remain mired in mid-table, Genoa were beaten by Lecce and have only four points on the board.
Match preview
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Failing to preserve a lead earned by Romelu Lukaku's third goal in three games since making his debut, Roma were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw with Torino on Sunday evening, when Duvan Zapata struck late on.
As a result, Jose Mourinho's men have picked up just five points from the first five rounds, equalling Roma's worst record at this stage since the start of the century (equal with 2004, 2010 and 2018).
Two wins and nine goals in the space of a week had previously kick-started the Giallorossi's 2023-24 campaign, as victory in their Europa League opener followed a 7-0 destruction of Empoli, but they are back under scrutiny and cannot afford to slip up again in the next few days.
Roma will meet two promoted sides - Genoa and Frosinone - before returning to European action, so a six-point haul would prove the perfect tonic for the capital club given several early-season stumbles.
Following their failure to retain a lead in Turin, Thursday's visitors have now won just one of their last 11 away games in Serie A. However, they have taken maximum points home from each of their last three trips to Genoa and could now record four wins on the spin at Marassi for the very first time.
Overall, Roma are unbeaten in 16 Serie A matches against Genoa, with this week's hosts losing 12 times during that period and keeping a clean sheet only once.
That sole shut-out came in the clubs' most recent encounter: a goalless draw in February 2022, shortly before the Grifone slipped through the trapdoor into Serie B.
Having emerged from the second tier at the first time of asking, by finishing runners-up to Frosinone last season, Genoa have won only one of their opening five league matches, with a 1-0 loss in Lecce last time out leaving them on four points.
Alberto Gilardino's men previously squandered a 2-0 lead to Napoli and were thumped by Fiorentina on the opening day, so remain in search of a first home success of their Serie A comeback campaign - ominously, Roma and Milan are next up at Marassi.
As his Genoa team have recorded both the fewest shots (32) and lowest possession share (34.8%) in Italy's top flight this term, the early signs are that Gilardino could be set for a relegation struggle - particularly if he cannot find some home wins soon.
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Team News
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Roma captain Lorenzo Pellegrini will be back at the disposal of Jose Mourinho in midweek, after missing several matches with a muscular problem.
However, long-term absentees Tammy Abraham and Marash Kumbulla are still joined by Chris Smalling and Renato Sanches on the sidelines - the latter pair are yet to recover from thigh injuries.
Mourinho may choose to rotate - given a packed schedule and his strikers' past fitness problems - but Paulo Dybala and Romelu Lukaku could be paired up front. Only against Udinese (10) has Dybala scored more Serie A goals than versus Genoa (nine in 13 games), while Lukaku has been directly involved in eight (six goals, two assists).
Genoa, meanwhile, could hand a debut to Milan loanee Junior Messias, who has yet to feature for the Grifone due to an ankle problem; the Brazilian winger should make a substitute appearance at some stage.
Alberto Gilardino will make at least one change from the team that started last week's loss at Via del Mare, as Aaron Martin was sent off in the loss to Lecce and must now serve a suspension - Johan Vazquez comes in at left-back.
Telling the tale of Genoa's struggles so far this season, Romanian defender Radu Dragusin had made the most clearances in Serie A after five rounds (31) and recorded the joint-most headed clearances alongside teammate Mattia Bani (15 each). Both are set to start in the hosts' back four.
Genoa possible starting lineup:
Martinez; Sabelli, Bani, Dragusin, Vasquez; Strootman, Badelj, Frendrup; Malinovskyi, Gudmundsson; Retegui
Roma possible starting lineup:
Patricio; Mancini, Llorente, Ndicka; Kristensen, Cristante, Paredes, Pellegrini, Zalewski; Dybala, Lukaku
We say: Genoa 0-1 Roma
With Genoa averaging fewer than a goal per game so far - and lagging behind in the possession stats - some sharp finishing from one of Roma's top-notch forwards could prove fatal to the Grifone's hopes of a first home win. Their most recent victory at Marassi was in the Coppa Italia early last month, and that wait will surely go on.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
