Genoa continued their resurgence with a well-deserved 2-0 win over 10-man Udinese, extending their unbeaten run to four matches in Serie A under Patrick Vieira’s leadership.
The match had an eventful start when Alessandro Zanoli attempted to pressure Isaak Toure near the edge of the Udinese box, only to be struck in the face by a stray elbow. After initially allowing play to continue, the referee reviewed the incident via VAR and issued a straight red card to the Udinese player just four minutes into the match.
With the man advantage, Genoa took control and broke the deadlock in the 14th minute. Milan Badelj’s weak shot from the edge of the box was deflected into the path of Andrea Pinamonti, who made no mistake in converting from close range.
Genoa could have doubled their lead midway through the first half when Morten Thorsby intercepted a poor pass and rounded goalkeeper Maduka Okoye. However, Lautaro Giannetti made a crucial block to deny the goal and keep Udinese in the game.
Udinese made changes at halftime, and the substitutions helped them regain some balance, though they struggled to create any clear chances for an equalizer.
The home fans’ optimism was eventually shattered in the 70th minute, as Genoa scored again. Zanoli used his pace to burst into the box and deliver a cross that deflected off Giannetti and past Okoye for an own goal.
Genoa held on for the win, moving up to 13th in the standings, now three points clear of the relegation zone. Udinese, meanwhile, are winless in five matches and, despite a strong start to the season, find themselves closer to the bottom than to the European spots.
