Torino vs Genoa preview - Go for it, urges Gasperini

Posted Saturday, December 20, 2014 by PA

Genoa coach Gian Piero Gasperini is telling his players to dig deep and go all out for victory at Torino on Sunday in their last Serie A game of the year.

The Grifoni head into the encounter in Turin on the back of last weekend's 1-0 loss at Roma.

"My team is a bit tired," Gasperini told the Italian media. "But we have to make some more effort and take three points at Torino."

The defeat was only Genoa's third of the campaign and dropped the Grifoni to fifth position, level on 26 points with city rivals Sampdoria, who are fourth.

Gasperini will be forced to make changes to his starting XI with goalkeeper Eugenio Lamanna taking the place of suspended Mattia Perin between the sticks.

Genoa are also without midfielder Diego Perotti, who was slapped with a three-match ban for deliberately kicking Roma's Jose Holebas in the leg during last weekend's heated encounter.

Perotti's absence is a blow for Gasperini, with the South American having started in all but one of Genoa's 15 league games this season.

Despite the setback, Genoa will fancy their chances of taking a positive result as they remain the only Serie A side unbeaten on the road this season.

The Grifoni having clinched 15 of their current 26 points away from home.

Torino have won just three of their opening 15 league games and have not tasted victory since a 1-0 triumph over Parma on October 29.

The Turin outfit have collected three points since then - all from draws - and last weekend's goalless draw at Empoli left the Granata in 15th place, two points clear of the drop zone.

Lack of goalscoring remain Toro's biggest problem.

Giampiero Ventura's side have the second worst attack in the competition behind Atalanta with only 10 goals scored.

b Toro president Urbano Cairo has promised his club fans he will reinforce his team's attack in the winter transfer market.

In the meantime, Ventura will field Josef Martinez alongside Fabio Quagliarella, who is the team's top scorer with four goals.

The hosts will be without Swedish defender Pontus Jansson, who is suspended.