Serie A: Genoa Push Napoli to the Limit in 2-1 Defeat

Napoli's Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Amir Rrahmani scored either side of halftime, but Genoa pushed them all the way in a 2-1 defeat.

Napoli secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory away to Genoa, relying on a combination of resilience and good fortune to emerge triumphant. The Partenopei were still without the injured Alessandro Buongiorno, but welcomed Khvicha Kvaratskhelia back to the bench, as David Neres and Juan Jesus earned starting berths.

Genoa, under the guidance of coach Patrick Vieira, had been enjoying an unbeaten run, comprising three draws and a 2-0 win at Udinese, with the added distinction of having kept three consecutive clean sheets. However, the Grifone were hampered by injuries to key players, including Koni De Winter, Junior Messias, Ruslan Malinovskyi, and Honest Ahanor, while Caleb Ekuban was not fully fit.

Romelu Lukaku came agonizingly close to opening the scoring within the first five minutes, directing a glancing header between two defenders from just five yards out. However, the ball thundered against the crossbar, leaving Nicola Leali helpless in the Genoa goal.

Napoli's pressure eventually paid off when Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa rose above two defenders to meet David Neres' pinpoint cross, nodding the ball home from six yards to give the Partenopei the lead. The visitors' second goal bore some resemblance to the first, as Stanislav Lobotka's floated free kick was met by Amir Rrahmani, who knocked the ball into the far top corner with a combination of his head, shoulder, and amidst a crowded penalty area.

Scott McTominay thought he had scored in the 36th minute, blasting the ball into the roof of the net from close range. However, his celebrations were cut short as Matteo Politano was deemed offside in the build-up to the goal, rendering the score null and void.

The second half got off to a thrilling start, with Alex Meret producing a spectacular fingertip save within 50 seconds of the restart. Andrea Pinamonti's curling right-footed effort seemed destined for the top corner, but Meret's acrobatic intervention denied him. However, Pinamonti wouldn't be denied for long, as he pulled Genoa back into the game by meeting Vitinha's pull-back from the by-line and steering the finish through a crowded penalty area from seven yards out.

Alex Meret was once again called upon to make a crucial save, this time reacting swiftly to deny Milan Badelj's header on 65 minutes. Genoa, transformed from their first-half display, were pushing hard for an equalizer, and Meret's intervention proved vital in maintaining Napoli's slender lead.

The introduction of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia off the bench injected new life into Napoli's attack, and he immediately began causing chaos. A pinpoint pull-back from Kvaratskhelia seemed destined to reach Matteo Politano for a tap-in, but Johan Vasquez's timely interception prevented the certain goal. Meanwhile, Genoa's own substitutes, including Mario Balotelli, were making a significant impact, as they pressed for a late equalizer.

In a thrilling conclusion, Genoa came agonizingly close to leveling the score. Andrea Pinamonti's glancing header clipped Balotelli's knee and bounced off the inside of the far post, narrowly avoiding the equalizing goal. Alex Meret then produced another breathtaking fingertip save, this time to deny Caleb Ekuban, who had met Balotelli's cross-shot at full stretch.