In one of the most unpredictable matches of the Serie A season, Napoli secured a vital 3-2 victory over Daniele De Rossi’s Genoa. The match began in disastrous fashion for the visitors; just 15 seconds after kick-off, Alessandro Buongiorno’s error forced Alex Meret into a foul on Vitinha. Ruslan Malinovskyi stepped up and converted the resulting penalty to give Genoa a shock 1-0 lead.
Napoli responded with a whirlwind five-minute spell. In the 20th minute, Rasmus Højlund equalized by tapping in a rebound after Scott McTominay’s initial drive was parried. Barely 120 seconds later, Scott McTominay turned from provider to scorer, unleashing a thunderous 20-meter strike into the bottom corner to flip the game on its head.
The second half brought more drama. Genoa found a deserved equalizer in the 57th minute through Lorenzo Colombo, who finished clinically to make it 2-2. Napoli’s task became even harder when Juan Jesus was shown a second yellow card, leaving them with 10 men for the final stages. However, the Partenopei refused to settle for a draw. In the 95th minute, Napoli were awarded a penalty of their own, which Rasmus Højlund hammered home to seal a dramatic brace and the three points.
What It Means: This win keeps Napoli in third place, trailing leaders Inter by nine points but maintaining pressure on AC Milan. For Genoa, the defeat is a bitter pill to swallow after a brave performance, leaving them in 14th place.