Genoa defeats Sienna 1-0

Rossoblu supporters can celebrate as they have climbed with two points of the top of the Seria A table with a close 1-0 victory over Siena today at Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

The lone goal of the match came twenty minutes in when a Ivan Jurić cross into the box was headed in by Giuseppe Biava. With a 1-0 lead Genoa continued to pressure although Sienna's defensive resolve was impossible to break down. Ten minutes before the break, Genoa narrowly missed doubling the lead with Raffaele Palladino and Diego Milito attempts saved brilliantly by Sienna 'keeper Gianluca Curci. The match went to the break 1-0 with notable mention of Genoa's back-line of Matteo Ferrari,Giuseppe Biava and Salvatore Bocchetti performing yeoman duty.

After the break the battle resumed in the midfield and it isn't till the seventieth minute before Sienna's attack begins to inspire. With seventeen minutes remaining Daniele Galloppa narrowly misses leveling the match as his shot from inside the box rattles off off the post. Moments later Massimo Maccarone comes close but once again Sienna's efforts fall short. Through the balance of the match serious efforts are few and far between and after five minutes of added time the match concludes with Genoa winning 1-0.

Genoa returns to action next Saturday against Inter Milan.

Genoa
Rubinho
Salvatore Bocchetti,Matteo Ferrari,Giuseppe Biava
Domenico Criscito,Ivan Jurić,Omar Milanetto (Thiago Motta 15'),Giandomenico Mesto (Andrea Gasbarroni 53')
Raffaele Palladino (Marcel Romàn 68'),Diego Milito,Giuseppe Sculli

Siena
Gianluca Curci,Daniele Portanova,Daniele Ficagna (Andrea Rossi 80'),Manuel Coppola (Abdelkader Ghezzal 56'),Cristiano Del Grosso,Luca Rossettini,Houssine Kharja,Daniele Galloppa,Simone Vergassola,Massimo Maccarone,Mario Frick (Emanuele Calaiò 60')

Genoa - Sienna match preview

Marco Giampaolo's Bianconeri visit Stadio Luigi Ferraris in a important mid-table match. With the clubs locked only a point a part in the tight Serie A race, hopes of European bids rely on victories such as these. Truthfully both clubs are in suffering from a common issue of mid-table squads, whereby level of play is radically different than at home as opposed to the road. Genoa has won each of its three matches at home, scoring an impressive eight goals in three matches. However on the road their goal scoring prowess has disappeared as they found the net once, losing all three away matches. Sienna's not quite the same "Jekyll and Hyde" level, although they have yet to allow a goal at home as opposed to four on the road.

Sienna is coming off a 1-0 victory over Roma just before the international break and buoyed with confidence on their tactically efficient play. Marco Giampaolo will certainly be aware of Genoa's flowing tactical lines at home and look to cut that off sharply. Their efforts will be greatly assisted as the Rossoblu are without Francesco Modesto, Matteo Paro and Thiago Motta as well as Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Marco Rossi to suspension. The continued growth of Serbia international, ex-Crvena Zvezda man, Boško Janković will likely see him penciled into the following starting grid:

Rubinho
Giuseppe Biava, Matteo Ferrari, Domenico Criscito
Giandomenico Mesto, Omar Milanetto, Ivan Jurić, Giuseppe Sculli
Boško Janković, Diego Milito, Raffaele Palladino

Sienna is likely to employ a 4-3-1-2 with Moroccan Houssine Kharja supporting the striking tandem of Mario Frick and predator / striker Massimo Maccarone. Genoa's back-line defense will need to keep a keen eye towards Massimo or he will quickly change Sienna's away-match fortunes. One of the great stories of the early Serie A season is unquestionably Diego Milito, who will look to continue his goal scoring prowess from where he left off at the break.