Genoa-Milan Preview: It’s Gonna Be Ugly

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from our last two games, it’s that a win isn’t always beautiful. In fact, a win can be downright ugly, particularly when the “ghosts of the past” come back to haunt us on defense. Add to that we are playing at the Marassi, and things can get very ugly there. Then there’s the time of the game, a lunchtime game in Genoa means I’m watching at 3:30am. That’s definitely ugly. On the bright side, hopefully we won’t be wearing those inexcusable things we call our third kit, like we did on Tuesday. Hopefully it’s not going to be that ugly. But we may as well plan that it’s gonna be ugly.

Just because it's our 2nd away game in a row doesn't mean it won't get ugly if the guys don't give 100%

Speaking of ugly, how about Genoa’s season so far? With one win and four losses, they are in 17th place, just above the relegation zone. Their singular win was their second game of the season vs. Verona, four very long weeks ago. It is also of note that Genoa are the team that gave Allegri his singular Serie A win of the season. More recently, on Wednesday, they lost 2-0 to Lazio in Rome, finishing on nine men. For that match, Gasperini lined up Lamanna; De Maio, Burdisso, Marchese; Nitcham, Tachtsidis, Rincon, Cissokho, Laxalt; Perotti, Figueiras, and Pandev.

However, Gasperini will not have Cissokho for this match, having been sent off vs. Lazio, and wont have Pandev for this match or the next two, having seen straight red midweek for an elbow to Mauricio. Add those to a very long injured list, and It’s hard to see this go well for Genoa. Out injured are: Costa, Gakpe, Ansaldi, Pavoletti, A. Donnarumma (the OTHER Donnarumma, also former Milan youth.) Perin, Munoz, and Tambe. That’s ten players missing for Genoa. Ouch.

Thanks for the midfielders, guys. We already broke them for you.

Milan are missing a few, too, but are still better equipped to face of at the Marassi. Niang, Menez, and Antonelli are still missing, with Kucka and Abate more recently added to the list, but with no projected timeframe of returning as of this writing. Mexes and Bertolacci could possibly be fit, but I wouldn’t put money on it. It would be really kind of both Kucka and Bertolacci to miss playing the team they played for last year.

The biggest question for this match is what player will Galliani agree with Preziosi to overpay for in January? Oh, wait, that’s not the big question, that’s just a matter of guessing properly. The big question is: can Miahjlovic’ Milan string three wins together? Don’t be so quick to assume that because Genoa are down and practically out that our three points are a given. The Marassi has almost magical powers for them, and Milan have been less than magical about conceding goals when they can least afford it. It should be a tough, scrappy game. A good test for this team, but it’s probably gonna be ugly.

According to @OptaPaolo, Balotelli has scored in 3 of his 4 appearances vs. Genoa at the Marassi

Mihajlovic promised wins, but warned that wins aren’t always pretty. And he wasn’t joking. But if we can at least wear a decent kit tomorrow, then maybe waking up at 3:30am won’t be quite as ugly for me. If we do manage to take three points back home to Milano, I hope it says more about Milan than it does about the injury-ravaged and poor form Genoa. But let’s face it, three wins in a row any way we can take them would be such an emotional boost for this team. Just don’t get your expectations too high, because history tells us that it’s gonna be ugly.

This post inspired by the music of Interpol’s “Evil”

Genoa vs. Milan

Sunday, September 27 • 12:30 CEST (6:30am EDT)

This match will be shown LIVE on RAI and BeIN Sports in the U.S.

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