Napoli Genoa Preview: De Rossi Warns Conte Will Motivate Napoli To Strong Showing

Daniele De Rossi has urged Genoa to prepare for a demanding clash with Napoli, insisting Antonio Conte’s side will not arrive weakened despite recent setbacks. The Serie A meeting at the Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris on Saturday carries weight for both clubs’ league ambitions.

Napoli travel to Genoa nine points behind leaders Inter after an uneven run. Conte’s team recently exited the Champions League with a 3-2 defeat to Chelsea, yet responded by beating Fiorentina 2-1, recording only their second league victory in six matches during that spell.

Genoa sit 14th in Serie A with a six-point cushion above the relegation places, but De Rossi dismissed any sense of comfort. The coach stressed that Napoli’s quality, especially under Conte, demands

full focus from a Genoa squad still working towards complete safety.

De Rossi underlined the scale of the challenge by praising Napoli’s squad depth and Conte’s influence. "When Napoli have all the players at their disposal, I think they are the best or second-best squad in Serie A, with the most successful coach of recent years in Italy," De Rossi said.

The Genoa coach also warned against reading too much into Napoli’s Champions League exit. De Rossi said: "They had a moment of disappointment with their Champions League elimination, but then they got right back to their feet. If we think that we're going to face a downhearted team, we've got the worst coach in the world for that! Conte knows how to motivate them and find the right words. "

𝑩𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒔pic.twitter.com/FrB9IiczrRGenoa CFC (@GenoaCFC) February 5, 2026

De Rossi knows Conte’s methods from close range, having played for Italy when Conte was national coach between 2014 and 2016. That spell included a run to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals, which left a strong impression on the former Roma midfielder.

Reflecting on that period, De Rossi said: "He gives you the most important things a player can get from his coach. He gives you courage and knowledge. For example, there wasn't a single time he didn't explain to us the mechanism of a movement. I said once it was tough to be coached by Conte, but wonderful at the same time. He is tough, but he treats you like a great player. I also think he puts his players in great physical shape. He is a complete coach, world class, winning in Italy and abroad. If I was a Serie A president, his name would be the first I'd think of to lead my team. "

This weekend’s game will be the first Serie A touchline duel between De Rossi and Conte. As players, they met only once in the league, when Roma defeated Juventus 4-0 at the Stadio Olimpico on February 8, 2004, with De Rossi on the winning side.

Despite recent inconsistency, Napoli arrive with strong historical numbers against Genoa. Napoli are unbeaten in 24 of their last 25 Serie A fixtures against the Rossoblu, winning 16 and drawing eight. Genoa’s lone victory in that sequence came at home in February 2021.

That 2021 success featured Goran Pandev scoring twice in a 2-1 Genoa win. Since then, meetings at the Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris have usually been open games. Both sides have scored in each of the last seven Serie A clashes there, producing 24 goals, an average of 3.4 per match.

Napoli have collected five wins across those seven recent Ferraris encounters, while Genoa have one victory and there has been one draw. Genoa’s broader record against high-ranking teams is less encouraging, with only two points from their last 11 league games versus sides starting the day in the top four.

One of those two points, however, did come against Napoli. The sides shared a 2-2 draw in May last season, a result that may offer Genoa some belief. Still, analytical models view Napoli as favourites, even allowing for the away team’s patchy form this campaign.

Napoli’s struggles on the road this season remain a concern. Conte’s side have lost eight of 16 away fixtures in all competitions, winning six and drawing two. That total of eight away defeats is matched only by Lecce and Fiorentina among Serie A clubs during the 2025-26 season.

In domestic terms, Conte has been beaten in five of 12 away Serie A matches this season, alongside six wins and one draw. The only campaign in Conte’s coaching career with more away league defeats came at Chelsea in 2017-18, when there were six losses in 19 Premier League trips.

Data from the Opta supercomputer still leans towards a positive outcome for Napoli. The model gives the visitors the highest chance of victory, while also leaving a significant probability for a draw, reflecting Genoa’s occasional ability to frustrate stronger opponents at home.

Outcome	Opta win probability
Genoa win	25.4%
Napoli win	44.9%
Draw	29.6%

Genoa vs Napoli players to watch and form trends

Genoa will hope Ruslan Malinovskyi maintains strong scoring form in Serie A. Malinovskyi has found the net in consecutive league outings against Bologna and Lazio. The Ukrainian now targets a third straight scoring appearance in the competition, something achieved only once before in Malinovskyi’s career.

The previous run of three successive Serie A goals for Malinovskyi came in April 2021, when playing for Atalanta. On that occasion, Malinovskyi scored against Juventus, Roma and Bologna. A similar streak against Napoli would provide Genoa with a vital attacking boost.

For Napoli, attention turns to Rasmus Hojlund, who seeks to break a scoring drought in Serie A. Hojlund’s last league goals came with a brace against Cremonese on December 28, but the forward has since gone seven top-flight appearances in 2026 without adding to that tally.

During that sequence, Hojlund has attempted 15 shots without scoring. No player has taken more attempts without a goal in Serie A in 2026, with Hojlund level with Jesus Rodriguez on that unwanted statistic. Napoli will hope improved service and confidence can lift Hojlund at Genoa.

With Genoa needing points to stay clear of the bottom three and Napoli trying to keep Inter within reach, Saturday’s match carries importance for both benches. De Rossi’s respect for Conte, combined with Napoli’s mixed form and Genoa’s sporadic resistance, sets up a contest where small details may decide the outcome.