OUR man in Italy, Marco Di Cosmo (@scioltz) looks to continue his hot streak in Serie A with his best Saturday selection from the Genoese derby.
Genoa v Sampdoria | Saturday 19:45 | BT Sport
Genoa’s derby – the Derby della Lanterna – is one the most intriguing rivalries in Serie A football and it is probably the most enthralling to see – as good as Roma v Lazio from a passion point of view.
None of the two teams have much to play for from their season. Despite their bad trend in recent games, Genoa are 14 points above relegation zone and should have no worries about going down.
Sampdoria are having a much better season sitting at mid-table, and their form says they are unbeaten in their last six; those games include a win against Roma and an away victory in the San Siro against AC Milan.
Avoid the match odds
Having this in mind, a wise bet would be on Samp but rationality is not always the best way to approach an emotional match as this derby is. Plus, the odds on a Sampdoria win are similar to the outcome of Genoa getting the three points.
The Grifone will also be utterly motivated by their loss in their last encounter against their bitter rivals where Sampdoria managed to pocket the points from a an own-goal.
The betting angle
Frustration will make Genoa competitive enough to worry Sampdoria at least. They have quality in players such as Mauricio Pinilla and Diego Simeone, who is following brilliantly in his father’s steps.
I am convinced Genoa will be able to score a goal here, but also they are not reliable enough to keep their sheets clean; the hosts have only managed to keep a clean sheet in their last game against Empoli but they’ve suffered at least one goal in their previous 12 games, making Both Teams To Score a worthy wager at 3/4 (BetStars).
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Genoa v Sampdoria – Both Teams To Score (3/4 BetStars)
