A challenge entirely red and blue in color and with a strong ex connotation.
Genoa-Cagliari on Monday evening, in addition to representing the way to end the season in the best possible way, for Gilardino, and to try to secure safety points, for Ranieri, it is a crossroads of well-known faces and stories intertwined with feelings.
At Cagliari, practically half of the attack department spent time with Genoa: Pavoletti will be absent, who spent two and a half seasons under the Lanterna between January 2015 and June 2017: 47 total appearances, 25 goals and many good memories left to Ferraris.
Lapadula and Shomurodov will be in the game, perhaps not both from the start: the Italian-Peruvian has collected 8 goals in 38 games in the two Genoa seasons; the Uzbek scored the same number of goals, but in 32 appearances and in just one season, before migrating to Rome.
Former “on the contrary” is Kevin Strootman: the Dutchman, after 18 appearances in Genoa 2020-21, played in Cagliari the following season: 11 appearances and relegation to Serie B. Category where he then found Genoa again, obtaining the promotion and confirming himself again this year as a precious expert piece in the midfield.
