Serie A | Genoa 2-1 Sassuolo: De Rossi wins World Cup winners’ duel

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Skip to contentGENOA, ITALY – APRIL 12: Ruslan Malinovskyi of Genoa (center) celebrates with his team-mates Tommaso Baldanzi and Lorenzo Colombo after scoring a goal during the Serie A match between Genoa CFC and US Sassuolo Calcio at Luigi Ferraris Stadium on April 12, 2026 in Genoa, Italy. (Photo by Simone Arveda/Getty Images)

Caleb Ekuban’s late goal allowed Genoa to beat Sassuolo 2-1 at the Stadio Ferraris in a match between 2006 Italy World Cup winner Daniele De Rossi and Fabio Grosso.

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Genoa secured a crucial win in the race for survival on Sunday, beating Sassuolo 2-1 at home.

The visitors had the first goal-scoring opportunity with Andrea Pianamonti sending his header inches over the crossbar. Genoa reacted with a shot from Vitinha a few minutes later, seeing Sassuolo goalkeeper Arijanet Muric perform a save to his left.

Ruslan Malinovskyi broke the deadlock at minute 18 with a stunning goal from distance that left Muric completely still as he watched the ball fly into the top corner.

Both sides were reduced to ten men during the halftime break, as Mikael Ellertsson and Domenico Berardi were sent off following a physical clash inside the tunnel.

The game’s flow inevitably changed in the second half, with Sassuolo looking more dangerous than the home side despite Berardi’s sending off.

Ismaël Koné equalised from a set-piece corner routine as Tarik Muharemovic won an aerial challenge in the box and the Canada international reacted quickest, poking home the rebound.

De Rossi also made attacking substitutions, and his decisions paid off.

Messias, who had come off the bench just minutes earlier, dribbled past a Sassuolo defender on the edge of the box, played a sharp one-two with Sabelli and managed to slip a pass through with the tip of his foot, beating the slow-reacting Muric to set up Ekuban, who scored into an empty net.

Sassuolo were already safe before the game with 42 points, but this latest win allows Genoa to make a big leap in the standings, moving to 13th with 36 points, nine above the drop zone with six games remaining.

12-04-2026 11:30

MatchDay 32

Stadio Luigi FerrarisGenoaSassuolo2 – 1

Player statistic

Genoa

Sassuolo

Starting lineups

16

Justin Bijlow
Goalkeeper

27

Alessandro Marcandalli
Defender

22

Johan Vásquez
Defender

5

Leo Östigard
Defender

20

Stefano Sabelli
Defender

87′

32

Morten Frendrup
Midfielder

17

Ruslan Malinovskyi
Midfielder

55′

8

Tommaso Baldanzi
Midfielder

55′

29

Lorenzo Colombo
Attacker

55′

77

Mikael Egill Ellertsson
Attacker

9

Vitinha
Attacker

75′

49

Arijanet Muric
Goalkeeper

21

Jay Idzes
Defender

3

Josh Doig
Defender

81′

6

Sebastian Walukiewicz
Defender

67′

80

Tarik Muharemovic
Defender

90

Ismaël Koné
Midfielder

87′

42

Kristian Thorstvedt
Midfielder

18

Nemanja Matic
Midfielder

67′

99

Andrea Pinamonti
Attacker

81′

45

Armand Lauriente
Attacker

10

Domenico Berardi
Attacker

Substitutes

39

Daniele Sommariva
Goalkeeper

1

Nicola Leali
Goalkeeper

21

Jeff Ekhator
Attacker

13

Nils Zätterström
Defender

4

Amorim
Midfielder

80

Jacopo Grossi
Midfielder

99

Latif Ouedraogo
Defender

40

Lukas Klisys
Defender

18

Caleb Ekuban
Attacker

55′

73

Patrizio Masini
Midfielder

55′

3

Aarón Martín
Defender

55′

10

Junior Messias
Attacker

75′

34

Sebastian Otoa
Defender

87′

12

Giacomo Satalino
Goalkeeper

16

Gioele Zacchi
Goalkeeper

8

M’Bala Nzola
Attacker

13

Stefano Turati
Goalkeeper

20

Alieu Fadera
Midfielder

66

Pedro Felipe
Defender

33

Christian Frangella
Midfielder

7

Cristian Volpato
Midfielder

67′

25

Woyo Coulibaly
Defender

67′

44

Edoardo Iannoni
Midfielder

81′

35

Luca Lipani
Midfielder

81′

24

Luca Moro
Attacker

87′

ByLorenzo Bettoni

Lorenzo Bettoni is the Editor of Football Italia.

Original Article