Important Facts
- Lazio are ninth (29 points) and under pressure: Bologna are only one point behind, Udinese are level on points, so even a draw feels like lost ground.
- The Romans are in shaky form – just one win in five; the 0-0 draw in Lecce and no goals before half-time in five games show their offensive problems.
- Genoa are on a roll: unbeaten in five league games (2 wins, 3 draws), most recently 3-2 after being 0-2 down against Bologna, with Ekuban and Messias sealing the win.
- Lazio are without Rovella in midfield and defenders Gigot and Patric, and substitute goalkeeper Mandas is also out; Genoa are likely to be without Baldanzi and Siegrist, which makes Malinovskyi even more important as the creative hub.
- The head-to-head record is extreme: Lazio have won five times in a row without conceding, with every game staying under 3.5 goals; but after the 0-0 draw in Lecce, a draw is a real possibility despite the odds of 2.0.
Five direct duels, five Lazio wins, five clean sheets – and yet the game at the Olimpico looks anything but comfortable: on Friday, January 30, at 7:45 p.m., Lazio Rome welcomes Genoa, coached by Daniele De Rossi, in round 23 of Serie A. Maurizio Sarri is under noticeable pressure because his team is in 9th place with 29 points, just one point behind Bologna and level on points with Udinese. Genoa travels in 13th place with 23 points, two points behind Cagliari and level with Cremonese. Lazio’s recent league form has been mixed; last weekend’s 0-0 draw in Lecce once again showed how much the offense has fallen short of expectations. Genoa, on the other hand, is proving more difficult to break down: their 3-2 comeback against Bologna was fueled by Malinovskyi’s set pieces and finished off by Ekuban and Messias – even if their run has been heavily influenced by draws. The head-to-head record has been brutally one-sided recently: Lazio won 3-0 in Genoa in September and has won the last five encounters without conceding a goal. Sarri now has to integrate Maldini after Mandas’ departure, while the club insists that Romagnoli is staying. Lazio will have to do without Gigot, Patric, and Rovella, and Genoa may still be without Baldanzi.
- Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
- Date and time: January 30, 2026, 8:45 p.m.
- Competition: Serie A (matchday 23)
The bookmakers see Lazio as clear favorites at around 2.0, but the goalless 0-0 draw in Lecce once again highlighted how blunt the offense currently is. Rovella is still missing, Gigot is still out of action, and Mandas is also unavailable, which doesn’t exactly make the starting position any more comfortable. Genoa are unbeaten in five games, and their comeback against Bologna, initiated by Malinovskyi and completed by Messias, suggests that a draw or even an away win could be on the cards; the away win is certainly good value at 4.3.
Lazio Rome Form & Record Check
Lazio comes into Serie A Round 23 in ninth place with 29 points, just one point ahead of Bologna and level on points with Udinese, so even a draw quickly feels like a missed opportunity. Their league form has been inconsistent, with one win in five games, and Sarri’s team too often seems caught between control and urgency. They still dictate phases of play at the Olimpico, but the table reads like mid-table, not Europe. It ended 0-0 in Lecce, and it was hard to find a moment that really looked like pressure, with Dias’ attempt coming closest to real danger. Before that, Como won 3-0 in Rome, a result that exposed how quickly the structure collapses when the midfield fails to cover counterattacks, and the reaction to it seemed cautious rather than aggressive. Mandas has moved on, reducing the depth behind Provedel. The 1-0 win in Verona showed that Lazio can control a game when the defense remains compact, but the 2-2 draw with Fiorentina and the 2-0 defeat to Napoli highlighted familiar problems in both penalty areas.
They have failed to score before halftime in their last five games, and four of five second halves have seen fewer than 1.5 goals. With Rovella out and Gigot and Patric missing, Sarri lacks balance, even if Maldini comes in and Romagnoli is retained.
Sarri is expected to stick with his usual 4-3-3, with Provedel behind a back four of Lazzari, Gila, Romagnoli, and Marusic. In midfield, Vecino, Cataldi, and Taylor look like the most likely trio, with Cataldi possibly providing the first pass and Vecino covering the second balls. Up front, Isaksen and Zaccagni should flank Dia as the central target man. With Gigot and Patric still missing in defense, Romagnoli’s leadership role becomes even more central, and Provstgaard could be the first line of defense if there is a late change. Rovella’s absence leaves fewer options at the base, so Cataldi could be entrusted with controlling the tempo. Maldini has only just arrived and could be brought on cautiously from the bench rather than being thrown straight into the starting lineup.
Genoa Form & Record Check
Genoa’s 3-2 comeback against Bologna sums up De Rossi’s current team well: vulnerable for a long time, then suddenly sharper. They were 2-0 down, including an own goal by Otoa, and only really took control after Bologna were reduced to ten men. Nevertheless, Malinovskyi changed the mood with his quality from set pieces, and Ekuban and Messias attacked the penalty area with real determination when it mattered, while Vitinha’s runs also led to the turning point. Genoa are unbeaten in their last five league games, with two wins and three draws, although it has not been flawless. The 0-0 draw at Parma and the 1-1 draws against Milan and Pisa showed control without punch, while the 3-0 win against Cagliari was their most complete performance. Interestingly, the first halves have often been tight, with under 1.5 goals in four of those games. This run has lifted them to 13th place with 23 points, but the margins are small, with Cagliari just two points ahead and Cremonese level on points behind, meaning a single poor night could undo their progress. Baldanzi and Siegrist are currently unavailable, which could limit rotation and place additional creative burden on Malinovskyi. If their defensive work matches Frendrup’s intensity, this form can be sustained.
Genoa are expected to line up in a 3-5-2, with Bijlow in goal and a back three of Marcandalli, Østigård, and Vásquez. Width should come from Norton Cuffy and Martín as wingbacks, while Frendrup and Thorsby should stabilize the midfield, giving Malinovskyi the freedom to dictate play and take set pieces. Up front, Vitinha could partner Colombo. Siegrist remains sidelined with a broken finger, so Bijlow remains the most likely starter. Baldanzi is also expected to miss out with muscle problems, leaving Malinovskyi as the main creative hub in the center rather than playing as a classic number 10. If Genoa need a different attacking profile, Messias and Ekuban seem the most obvious substitutes with impact, while Cornet offers another option to bring pace.
Lazio Rome – Genoa Head-to-head & Statistics
Lazio Rome has a flawless record in its last five encounters, with five wins, no draws, and not a single goal conceded. The most recent match in September 2025 was the clearest statement, a 3-0 away win that continued the streak of controlling these duels from start to finish. Genoa has not even led at halftime in this sequence, and the margin could easily have been greater. The goals have come at a steady, not chaotic, pace. Lazio has scored nine times in these five games, and every game has ended with under 3.5 goals, including 2-0 in April 2025 and 3-0 in September 2025. The first halves were also quiet, with under 1.5 goals in the first half in four of the five encounters, suggesting that Lazio is controlling the games. Three of the five were played in Genoa, and all three ended in Lazio victories without conceding a goal, 1-0 in 2024, then 2-0 in April 2025, then 3-0 in September 2025. In Rome, it was similar, 3-0 in 2024 and 1-0 in the 2023 Coppa Italia duel. A series of five games without scoring characterizes Genoa here. The fact that there were no draws also shows how much small moments could tip the games. Under Sarri, Lazio Rome has repeatedly shaped the game according to its own ideas, and the numbers confirm this: five wins in a row, five games without conceding, five games without more than 3.5 goals. For De Rossi, the first goal is simply to score, because as soon as Lazio scores first in this series, the door remains closed, and that could be the decisive psychological hurdle.
