20 September 2015
Like Juventus, Genoa have been very active in this year’s summer transfer window, meaning that the Bianconeri will face a very different team to the one that managed a 1-0 victory over Massimiliano Allegri’s men last October.
There have been wholesale changes across the side, but especially in attack, where the departures of Mauricio Pinilla to Atalanta, Iago Falque to Roma and M’Baye Niang to Milan (after the latter’s loan stint at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris ended) have opened up a host of positions across the Rossoblu’s forward line.
With this in mind, coupled with the fixture’s tendency to produce plenty of goals down the years, Juventus.com has opted to focus on the players signed by Grifone coach Gian Piero Gasperini to fill the various voids up front.
Diego Capel, 27, Attacking Midfielder
Signed from Sporting Lisbon, Diego Capel is a player boasting significant pedigree from his two lengthy and successful spells at Sevilla and Sporting Lisbon.
The Spaniard is an out and out winger, most often found hugging the left flank, although he has also been deployed on the right already by his new manager at the Luigi Ferraris.
Blessed with pace, Capel is more than capable of beating his man, while his creativity and crossing led to a healthy number of key contributions during his time on the Iberian peninsula.
After making his breakthrough season in 2007-08 for Sevilla, where he went on to score a total of 11 goals and provide 19 assists across 172 games, the 27-year-old improved on these statistics after switching to the Portuguese capital, where he found the net 16 times and turned provider on 30 occasions in four years and 29 less fixtures than at his former club.
The former Spain international will look to build upon these figures for Gasperini’s men, who will be happy to have amongst his ranks a player capable of influencing the game from either wing, adding to what promises to be a dynamic and flexible forward line.
Olivier Ntcham, 19, Attacking Midfielder
Aged just 19, Olivier Ntcham is a highly exciting prospect and has already played all 270 minutes of Genoa’s opening Serie A games this season.
The Frenchman rose through the ranks at the world-renowned Le Havre academy before transferring to Manchester City’s youth setup in 2012.
Ntcham soon broke into the English club’s Under 21s as just a 16-year-old and would go on to make telling contributions for the side as well as in the Under 19s’ UEFA Youth League campaigns, scoring six goals and providing eight assists for the two teams between 2013 and 2015.
His performances quickly caught the attentions of the Rossoblu, who signed him this summer and the France Under 19 international has made an immediate impact from a wide left position, from which he has created the most chances (9) and had the highest number of shots (19) out of any of his new team-mates.
Goran Pandev, 32, Forward
Another summer signing, Goran Pandev brings a wealth of experience and knowhow to the Rossoblu’s new-look forward line.
The Macedonia international is also versatile, as he can be deployed as either a second striker or lone centre forward, with his new manager already trying him out in both positions at the start of this season.
A menace in the penalty area, Pandev also has the awareness and eye for a pass to make him a consistent provider of assists: with 102 goals and 60 assists, including particularly prolific spells at Lazio and more recently Napoli, his statistics are testament to this fact.
The 32-year-old also averages finds the net every three games on average for his national side, for whom he has been an ever-present since making his debut in 2001.
