GENOA 2-1 JUVENTUS- LATE TWO COMEBACK GOALS FROM RELEGATION SIDE GENOA WINS THE GAME AGAINST THE OLD LADY.
Two late goals, including a 95th-minute Domenico Criscito penalty, secured a huge three points for Genoa in a vital 2-1 over Juventus. Il Grifone’s fight for survival goes on, after what was their first Serie A win of the season to come after conceding first.
With their UEFA Champions League spot already assured for next season, Juventus were playing for nothing but pride, and the ‘Old Lady’ certainly began like a team who were already on their holidays, as laboured play – much-characterised by passes going astray – was an overriding theme for Juventus in the opening quarter. Contrastingly, Genoa performed like a side in desperate need of points, and Mattia Destro spurned a glorious chance as he headed over Wojciech Szczęsny’s crossbar from 12-yards. Juve’s Polish stopper was again called into action just moments before the break, making a smart save to deny Manolo Portanova’s 30-yard piledriver.
Szczęsny’s stop looked all the more crucial just three minutes after HT, when Paulo Dybala worked a yard of space on the edge of the box and curled home a delightful right-footed effort beyond a desperate Salvatore Sirigu dive. Genoa weren’t going down without a fight though, and they almost forged a way back into the game through Morten Frendrup, but his stinging drive from distance was beaten away by Szczęsny.
Genoa’s willingness to attack was leaving holes in their back-line, which Dybala thought he had exploited when he let fly from the edge of the box, only to see his effort crash back off the post. The hosts were handed a late reprieve when VAR overturned a Juventus penalty, and Genoa took full advantage of that lifeline three minutes from time, when Guðmundsson caressed an effort past the seemingly unbeatable Szczęsny.
The jubilation around the ground was palpable, and there was to be one more twist as Genoa built on the electric atmosphere. Mattia De Sciglio felled Kelvin Yeboah in the area, and captain Domenico Criscito earned his redemption after missing a late penalty last time out, slotting from 12 yards to ensure that Genoa’s fight to avoid relegation rolls on.
