In an exciting Serie A matchup held on Saturday, Genoa showcased their resilience by clinching a 2-1 victory against Hellas Verona at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium. The visitors struck first on the 20th minute with a well-placed shot by Rafik Belghali, sending shockwaves through the home crowd.
However, Genoa refused to back down and equalized just before halftime when Lorenzo Colombo displayed his finesse with a stunning goal at the 39th minute, landing the ball neatly in the bottom corner past the Verona keeper.
The second half saw Morten Thorsby make his mark, scoring the winning goal at the 61st minute with a powerful header, sealing the fate of the match for Genoa.
One of the standout moments was Thorsby’s performance, which not only included his decisive goal but also four attempts on target, earning him the title of Man of the Match.
Besides Thorsby’s brilliance, Rafik Belghali of Hellas Verona was commendable as well, netting the opening goal and taking two shots at the Genoa goal, showcasing his skills throughout the match.
The tactical setup for Genoa saw manager Daniele De Rossi employ a 3-5-2 formation with Nicola Leali guarding the net; the defensive line comprised Alessandro Marcandalli, Leo Östigard, and Johan Vásquez. The midfield featured Mikael Ellertsson, Ruslan Malinovskyi, Morten Frendrup, Morten Thorsby, and Aarón Martín, while Lorenzo Colombo and Vítor Oliveira led the attack.
On the other side, Hellas Verona, managed by Paolo Zanetti, also took to the field with a 3-5-2 setup, including Lorenzo Montipò in goal and a defensive trio of Unai Núñez, Victor Nelsson, and Nicolás Valentini. Their midfield was composed of Rafik Belghali, Cheikh Niasse, Roberto Gagliardini, Antoine Bernede, and Domagoj Bradaric, with Giovane Santana and Daniel Mosquera at the forefront.
This match was officiated by referee Michael Fabbri.
Looking ahead, Genoa will face Udinese in their next fixture, while Hellas Verona will be hosting Atalanta. At this stage of the tournament, Genoa ranks 15th with 11 points, while Hellas Verona remains at the bottom with just 6 points.
Substitutions for Genoa
66’ 2T – Lorenzo Colombo was replaced by Caleb Ekuban
71’ 2T – Vítor Oliveira was substituted for Patrizio Masini
84’ 2T – Ruslan Malinovskyi exited for Valentín Carboni, and Mikael Ellertsson was substituted by Stefano Sabelli.
Booked Players for Genoa:
27’ 1T – Morten Thorsby (Unsporting Conduct) and 49’ 2T – Daniele De Rossi (Insulting or Dissenting towards the referee).
Substitutions for Hellas Verona
29’ 1T – Domagoj Bradaric was substituted out for Martin Frese
65’ 2T – Antoine Bernede and Daniel Mosquera were replaced by Amin Sarr and Gift Orban respectively.
80’ 2T – Cheikh Niasse was substituted by Al Musrati, and Rafik Belghali was replaced by Daniel Oyegoke.
Booked Players for Hellas Verona:
38’ 1T – Daniel Mosquera (Unsporting Conduct), 1’ 2T – Unai Núñez (Unsporting Conduct), and 27’ 2T – Roberto Gagliardini (Unsporting Conduct).