On 22 December, one of the matches of the 17th round of the Italian football championship took place. Sassuolo (Italy) and Genoa met.
Italian Championship, 17th round
Sassuolo (Italy) - Genoa ( Genoa) - 1:2 (1:0)
Goals: Pinamonti (28) - A. Gudmundsson (64), C. Ekuban (87)
Warnings: M. Bani (12), A. Loriente (22), Gian Marco Ferrari (39)
An exciting football match between Sassuolo and Genoa took place in Serie A at the MAPEI - Città del Tricolore stadium. The game was full of drama and tense moments, with both teams showing their skill and determination. At half-time the score was 1-0 in favour of Sassuolo, but in the second half, Genoa made a terrific run and won the match 2-1. At the start of the match, both teams showed strong defence, not wanting to concede at any point. However, in the 12th minute, Genoa's M. Bani received a yellow card, which signalled the start of a tense game. In the 22nd minute, Sassuolo player A. Lauriente received a yellow card. The deadlock was finally broken in the 28th minute when Sassuolo's A. Pinamonti found the ball in the net, giving his team a deserved advantage. The home crowd exploded with joy as their team took control of the match. In the 39th minute, Sassuolo player G.M. Ferrari was cautioned with a yellow card, which made the game even more heated. The second half started with the first substitution for Sassuolo: G.M. Ferrari was replaced by R. Tressoldi.
Genoa responded with a triple substitution in the 60th minute, bringing on J. Vazquez and A. Martina. Vazquez and A. Martin, while M. Bani was replaced by M. Thorsby. The tactical moves should have turned the game in favour of Genoa, and the substitutions proved effective, as in the 64th minute Genoa were awarded a penalty, which was converted by A. Gudmundsson. The game became equal and the advantage went to the visitors. In the 84th minute Sassuolo made the last substitution, replacing A. Pinamonti with S. Mulattieri. Mulattieri, hoping to regain their previous advantage. However, Genoa had the last word in this exciting encounter. In the 87th minute, K. Ekuban scored the winning goal, stunning the home fans. In the last minutes of the match R. Malinovskiy replaced A. Volyakko in Genoa's line-up. The final whistle sounded and Genoa won 2-1. The match between Sassuolo and Genoa showed the unpredictability of football: both teams put in their best until the last minute. It was a game full of events, goals and tactical manoeuvres that kept the spectators on the edge of their seats. Both teams showed an exciting spectacle of beautiful play, and the fans are looking forward to the next meeting in the Serie A arena.
The following matches await the rivals in the next round: Milan vs Sassuolo, Genoa vs Inter.
| Sassuolo | Genoa | |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Kicks to the goal | 5 |
| 12 | Kicks | 14 |
| 2 | Blocked shots | 1 |
| 6 | Penalty kicks | 11 |
| 6 | Penalty kicks | 3 |
| 10 | Offences | 9 |
| 3 | Corner | 6 |
| 2 | Offsides | 1 |
| 43% | Ball possession | 57% |
| 2 | Yellow cards | 1 |
| 0 | Red cards | 0 |
| 3 | Keeper saves | 2 |
| 359 | Total assists | 468 |
| 296 | Accurate assists | 406 |
| 82% | Accuracy of passes | 87% |