Genoa-Milan Preview: Pre-existing Condition

In the American healthcare system, insurance providers sometimes refuse to cover medical expenses for conditions that they deem “pre-existing,” something the patient was known to have had prior to their coverage beginning. Which means that the patient does not get the healthcare they need, and/or they have to pay all of their own bills. Neither of which is helpful. This match with Genoa was changed to an earlier time because of a pre-existing condition. As in Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini claims there was a pre-existing condition between fans, so decided to play the game six hours earlier. On a weekday. So the teams, the fans, and everyone else get screwed over because he thinks there is a pre-existing condition.

Gattuso is the grinta and the fire from the sidelines. Missing.

Genoa lag in 14th place on the table. Having upgraded to Cesare Prandelli as manager about five weeks ago, his record isn’t much more impressive than his two predecessors earlier this season: D-L-W-L-D. In their 0-0 draw at home with Fiorentina before the break, he lined up: Radu; Biraschi, Romero, Criscito; Rolon; Romulo, Hijlemark, Bessa, Lazovic; Kouame, and Piatek. Prandelli’s most obvious missing piece will be Piatek, who, with 13 goals this season, is suspended for this match. He is also in negotiations to join Milan, possibly within the next few days.

Gattuso will be missing Higuain, who was not called up for this match due to all of the rumors surrounding his impending departure to Chelsea. But there is a long list of missing pieces for this match, including Gattuso himself, who earned himself a one match touchline ban against Juventus on Wednesday for “aggressive behavior.” It was hardly the first time anyone has accused him of that, but with Romagnoli, Calabria, and Kessie also earning suspensions for this match, it is clear that the squad are possibly emulating him too much. Even Brozzi, our Milan doctor, earned himself a one match suspension for this game.

Genoa's prize striker will likely be wearing a Milan jersey this week

Gattuso will also still be missing Caldara, Biglia, and Bonaventura to injury. It is refreshing to have an injury list so short, even if all three of those injuries were so lengthy and devastating to our team. But refreshing that Paqueta is fitting right into our starting lineup and playing so well. This match will be interesting to see the tactical decisions Gattuso makes up front. He seems to view Cutrone only as a super sub, which basically leaves us with Borini now as a forward until we sign someone else. Which is so Genoa. But Milan can take fourth place back with a win in this match, which makes me hope that we will play more like the Milan teams of old.

Players like Suso, Bertolacci and Laxalt will feel comfortable going back to Genoa, while they have players like Lapadula still on their roster who remember what it was like to play for Milan. But there will be a lot of anger from Genoa fans about not only the early start, but their club selling their best players again. They wrote a very angry letter about the time change, including this brilliant statement: “We ask the club to protect the interests of all their fans, season-ticket holders and non-ticket holders with the same commitment and punctuality that they sell their best players every transfer window." So it seems that tomorrow’s match may end up a self-fulfilling prophecy from Salvini, because of both the time change and Preziosi’s transfer dealings. Perhaps it is a pre-existing condition after all.

This post inspired by the music of R.E. M.’s “Everybody Hurts”

Serie A Week 20

Genoa vs. Milan

Monday, January 21 • 15:00 CET (9am EST)

This match can be streamed LIVE on ESPN+ in the U.S.