GENOA (ITALPRESS) – With a late flick from Pulisic, Milan conquered Ferraris, winning 1-0 in Genoa’s den. The American’s goal, a few minutes from the end, comes at the end of a very attentive defensive match by the Ligurians who perhaps deserved a draw and who in the final, after Maignan’s expulsion, were unable to beat the improvised goalkeeper Olivier Giroud.
The match was immediately intense: the first chance was for the guests and came in the 17th minute, when Musah ran down the right, finding Reijnders in tow who however had his shot blocked by Martinez. In the 20th minute, Hernandez received a yellow card and, having been warned, will miss the match against Juventus upon returning from the break. The rest of the first half flows without particular emotions, with the rossoblù defense rather attentive and a rossoblù attacking trio, today revolutionized with Chukwueze, Jovic and Okafor on the pitch from the first minute, decidedly opaque. The two teams go to half-time at 0-0 and Pioli decides to immediately bring in Leao and Pulisic in place of Okafor and Chukwueze.
At the start of the second half the balance reigned until the 20th minute, when Martinez had to use his fingertips to lift Leao’s header over the crossbar which came after a cross from the right by Florenzi. The newly promoted team is seen for the first time in the 31st minute, when Dragusin tries from distance with his left foot, finding the deflection of an opponent who seems to wrong-foot Maignan, but the goalkeeper recovers his position and saves his corner with a great leap. In the final, the Rossoneri try to push forward, with the wall erected by the opposing defense appearing to hold. In the 42nd minute, however, the goal that decides the match arrives. The visitors attack on the right with Musah passing through for Pulisic, who turns to his left handkerchief and slots past Martinez from close range to make it 1-0. He protests from the Genoans for an alleged touch from Pulisic himself. In full stoppage time, Maignan leaves him 10-man for an avalanche outside the area on Ekuban, punished by the referee with a red card after the VAR review. Pioli has no more substitutions and Giroud must go in goal. Gudmunsson takes the free kick from the edge, which after a deflection hits the crossbar. After the corner, Genoa goalkeeper Martinez gets a double yellow for an attacking foul and is also sent off. The Rossoneri resist and take 3 fundamental points which catapult them to the top of the table alone at 21. Genoa however remains fifteenth with 8 points to their credit.
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(ITALPRESS)