Serie A: Internazionale March to Luigi Ferraris with Fireworks in Hand

Genoa vs Inter Milan

Football is back in Italy after the holidays, and Serie A gives a late Christmas gift to football fans all over the globe with a stacked slate with multiple marquee matchups.

Internazionale are locked in the top spot in the league standings by the end of the calendar year with a four-point lead over second-placed Juventus, while other clubs such as Genoa are taking every opportunity to climb the league table one matchday at a time.

Inter Milan and Serie A leading scorer Lautaro Martinez will remain sidelined during their upcoming clash against Genoa, but Inzaghi’s team is still in capable hands with their #9, Marcus Thuram, leading the way for I Nerazzurri.

Meanwhile, despite their recent struggles, Genoa produced one of their finest moments of the season by defeating Sassuolo at Mapei Stadium last week. Gilardino looks to ride this momentum as they host the mighty Inter Milan in the coming days.

Talking Points

The Martinez-Thuram combination seeking havoc

It’s undeniable that Inter Milan are the frontrunners to win the whole league this season, and the not-so-secret ingredient to their success is the dynamic duo of Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram.

This duo is making the Italian top flight look like a Sunday league with the way they dominate their adversaries matchday after matchday. An obvious attestation to Lautaro Martinez’s dominance is his convincing lead in the race for the Capocannoniere.

Inter Milan’s #10 has scored 15 goals in 16 Serie A appearances this season, as he somehow finds the back of the net in almost every game Inter Milan plays. But due to a left strain to the muscle in his left thigh, the World Cup winner was left on the sidelines during their clash against Lecce on Saturday, forcing an end to his 89-game appearance streak.

But luckily for Simone Inzaghi, he has another ace in his pocket who can lead his team with composure and ferocity against a threatening Lecce squad. And that ace goes by the name of Marcus Thuram.

Thuram has been Inzaghi’s do-it-all talent. Not only has the French forward scored seven goals in the season thus far, but he has also dished out seven assists, the most in the entire top flight.

His role as the main striker for Inter Milan has proven to be very effective, and to have Martinez playing behind him might just be the deadliest one-two punch in the whole Italian top flight.

Come-from-behind win might be the start of something big for Genoa

Prior to their siege of Sassuolo, Genoa had failed to produce a win against their Italian adversaries since November 11, when they successfully defended Luigi Ferraris against Verona. Alberto Gilardino and his side seemed to have exhausted all of their winning formulas, but a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel appeared when they hosted Sassuolo for their Matchday 17 competition in front of the hostile Sassuolo fans.

It looked a little dim at first, due to Andrea Pinamonti scoring the opening goal of the match in minute 28. The visiting Genoa had no answer for the entirety of the first half, but something magical must’ve happened in their dressing room during halftime.

The Griffins took the field with vigour and hunger during the second half, as Albert Guðmundsson scored the equaliser at minute 64 from a penalty opportunity. Genoa set the pace all throughout the second half as they continued their relentless attack at the Sassuolo goal.

Caleb Ekuban sealed the deal for the visiting squad as he thumped a powerful strike to beat Andrea Consigli. The go-ahead goal was struck late in the game, which gave Genoa their first win after over a month of drought.

This pivotal win could be the start of something special if Gilardino’s team chooses to capitalise on it. Scoring three league points is exactly what a struggling club needs before clashing with a colossal force like Inter Milan.

History

Since 2007, Nerazzurri have dominated Genoa in their head-to-heads, winning 22 of the 33 matches between these Italian rivals, while Genoa have only managed to claim five wins and tally six draws.

During their most recent match in the top flight, both teams failed to find the back of the net, forcing the skirmish to end in a 0-0 draw at Luigi Ferraris.

In recent form, Alberto Gilardino’s side is still at the bottom half of the league table with 19 points. They currently sit as the 13th seed coming into Matchday 18, but their impressive away win against Sassuolo could be the start of a rally that would propel them into the upper echelon of the league.

Meanwhile, Nerazzurri are still the kings of Serie A with 44 points and are four points clear of a threatening Juventus side. Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram continue to carry their outfit to raise the Scudetto by the end of the season.

Betting Tip

To have Inter Milan handicapped by a -1 goal doesn’t strike any worries for this SBOTOP writer. Due to the dominance of Simone Inzaghi’s outfit in the Italian top flight, any adversary, especially teams in the bottom half of the table, would and should be given a slight advantage. Which is why the Asian Handicap line of Inter Milan -1.00 at 2.16 is my preferred betting tip.

The Serie A 2023 betting odds have Inter as the heavy favourites at 1.62, while the 5-4-8 Genoa are the underdogs at 5.10 and are 3.47 to tally a draw. Inter at 1.62 could be enough for some punters to consider, but there are other lines that hold more excitement and value that every punter should keep an eye on.The even line for total goals at 2.25 over and under could hold significance due to Inter Milan’s stellar offence this campaign. They’ve produced impressive Serie A results by tallying clean sheet victories in their last four Serie A matches against Napoli, Udinese, Lecce, and the veterans at Lazio.

 

●●●

CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS

Stay updated with everything sports and betting.

Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.