Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Serie A match.
The new Serie A season kicks off with two fixtures, one of which takes place in Genoa as the hosts welcome Lecce from the south. Both sides spent much of last year hovering around the lower half of the table. The question is whether this campaign will bring real change.
Genoa
For improvement to happen, points must come from the very start. Genoa began their official season comfortably, brushing aside Vicenza (3:0) in the Coppa Italia. New arrivals made an instant impact: Inter Milan loanee Valentín Carboni got on the scoresheet, as did Romania captain Nicolae Stanciu, who has returned to Europe from the Middle East. Genoa have so far avoided splashing big on the transfer market, instead securing €52m in profit from sales — most notably young defenders Koni De Winter and Honest Ahanor. The latter, just 17, is already tipped as a real gem.
Lecce
Lecce, meanwhile, lost their top scorer Nikola Krstović, who joined Atalanta for €25m after netting 11 goals last season. Before departing, the Montenegrin striker signed off with a farewell penalty in the Coppa Italia against Juve Stabia (2:0). The club moved to replace him by taking AC Milan’s 17-year-old Francesco Camarda on loan, but with only 199 Serie A minutes under his belt, the teenager is far from a guaranteed solution.
Genoa vs Lecce Prediction
While both clubs have suffered notable exits, Lecce’s loss looks more damaging: Krstović’s goals will be difficult to replace. Genoa, by contrast, strengthened creatively with Stanciu pulling the strings in midfield. At home, that edge could prove decisive.
