Finally posting their first win of 2025, Fiorentina claimed maximum points at the expense of fellow Champions League chasers Lazio last weekend, despite going down to 10 men with half an hour left at Stadio Olimpico.

Opening goalscorer Yacine Adli was controversially sent off with the Viola leading 2-0, but after surviving a few close calls, they only conceded once in second-half stoppage time.

A week previously, they had failed to convert a one-man advantage into victory over Torino, so head coach Raffaele Palladino was particularly relieved to see his team finish the job.

Fiorentina's form had nosedived over the preceding month - particularly on Tuscan turf. After a series of five consecutive home wins, they have not won any of their last three in Serie A.

In all, they have won only one of their last seven league games, yet a tally of 36 points is the club's most at this stage of any campaign since 2016, when they ultimately finished fifth.

Depending on Italian teams' results in UEFA competitions - including their own progress in the Conference League - a top-five finish could be enough to secure a long-awaited return to Europe's top table.

Another win would help them inch closer to that goal, and they head into Sunday's contest unbeaten in some 25 home games against Genoa in Serie A - albeit they have won just one of the last seven.

In addition to their long drought in Florence, Genoa lost October's reverse fixture 1-0 at Stadio Ferraris, shortly before Alberto Gilardino's departure.

The Grifone's promotion-winning coach was soon replaced by Patrick Vieira, who has made a remarkable impact since arriving in Liguria.

The former Crystal Palace manager has lost only two of his first 10 league games, recording four wins in the process; the last Rossoblu coach to win at least five of his first 11 Serie A matches was Manlio Bacigalupo, back in 1950.

There is no secret to his success, as after last week's 2-0 defeat of rock-bottom Monza - who had recently upset Fiorentina - Genoa have kept six clean sheets in their last nine top-flight outings. That is as many as throughout the previous 28.

Having recorded just their second home win of the Serie A season, the Ligurian club opened up a six-point gap to the relegation places - but safety is far from secured.

Fiorentina possible starting lineup:

De Gea; Dodo, Pongracic, Ranieri, Gosens; Richardson, Mandragora; Folorunsho, Gudmundsson, Sottil; Kean

Genoa possible starting lineup:

Leali; Sabelli, De Winter, Vasquez, Martin; Frendrup, Badelj; Zanoli, Thorsby, Miretti; Pinamonti