Jurgen Ekkelenkamp’s second-half header was crucial as Udinese secured a tough win at Genoa, climbing above Sassuolo into tenth place in Serie A, with an injury-time goal from Keinan Davis confirming the three points.
Lorenzo Colombo hit the crossbar in the first half, followed by Ruslan Malinovskyi who also struck the woodwork from a free kick shortly after. In the second half, a penalty seemed to have been awarded, but VAR intervened and overturned the decision, a choice that ultimately had significant consequences.
The opening goal of the match came in the 66th minute when Nicolo Zaniolo, showcasing his impact upon returning to the Luigi Ferraris, delivered a skillful lofted pass into the box for Ekkelenkamp, who skillfully directed it with a composed header into the center of the goal.
Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye was seldom challenged during the match, making easy saves when necessary as Genoa’s offensive attempts lacked the accuracy to pose a real threat.
Udinese sealed the victory deep into stoppage time, as Keinan Davis scored on the counter.
The three points elevate Kosta Runjaic’s team to 40 points, placing them just one behind ninth-placed Lazio and eight behind seventh-placed Atalanta.
European qualification appears to be a remote possibility considering the competition, yet it has not been entirely dismissed mathematically. This victory will certainly contribute to the increasing optimism surrounding an Udinese team that is steadily gaining momentum as the season progresses.
For Daniele De Rossi’s Genoa, the loss is a more urgent issue. They currently sit in 14th place, and with several teams fighting against relegation still to play this weekend, the distance above the bottom three may decrease before Sunday concludes.
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