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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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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