Caleb Ekuban and Albert Gudmundsson orchestrated a notable comeback for Genoa, placing Verona once again at risk of descending into the relegation zone.
Hellas Verona had previously elevated themselves from the lower ranks with a recent surge, amassing seven points from four fixtures, with their sole defeat during this period being against Milan. However, their defensive capabilities were hindered by the absence of Giangiacomo Magnani due to suspension and Juan Manuel Cruz due to injury. Meanwhile, Genoa, who had remained winless in their last four outings, faced additional setbacks as their key striker Mateo Retegui served a suspension, and players such as Ruslan Malinovskyi, Vitinha, Giorgio Cittadini, and Alan Matturro grappled with injuries.
The encounter witnessed a moment of alarm for Verona as Josep Martinez encountered pressure from Federico Bonazzoli. This uncertainty culminated in the opening goal, with Martinez venturing out of his position, leaving the goal unguarded, thus allowing Bonazzoli to capitalize on a Darko Lazovic delivery and slot the ball into the empty net.
Although Mattia Bani intervened to block a Tijjani Noslin attempt, Genoa’s Johan Vasquez narrowly missed an opportunity to level the score with a header that grazed the top of the crossbar following an Albert Gudmundsson corner.
Just before halftime, Genoa found their equalizer through Caleb Ekuban, who, despite initially failing to make proper contact with a Ridgeciano Haps cross, benefited from a fortuitous deflection off Lazovic, granting him another chance to score.
Bonazzoli squandered a clear chance to extend Genoa’s lead, and moments later, Vasquez’s determined dribble into the box forced Verona’s goalkeeper, Lorenzo Montipò, to produce a save, only for Gudmundsson to pounce on the rebound and secure the lead for Genoa.
Montipò showcased his reflexes once more by denying Morten Thorsby’s diving header from a Junior Messias cross, thus preventing further damage to Verona’s scoreline.
Although Verona momentarily believed they had leveled the score through Karol Swiderski, the goal was disallowed due to offside infringement by the assisting player, Mitrovic.
Junior Messias attempted to catch Montipò off guard with a lob, but the goalkeeper remained vigilant, while Bani bravely blocked a snapshot, ultimately sealing a victory for Genoa and relegating Verona back into the precarious realms of the relegation zone.
Verona 1-2 Genoa