Genoa continues to run: De Winter and Vasquez knock down Monza

Genoa, 27 January 2025 – The rain that hit Genoa and the Marassi stadium today did not stop the Genoa of Vieira who immediately raised his head after the defeat against Roma by defeating 2-0 a Monza increasingly in crisis and left alone at the bottom of the standings. Another three well-deserved points for the rossoblù who have drawn level with Torino and Udinese on 26 points. Vieira's team took just over a quarter of an hour to get the measure of Monza and around the half-hour mark they came close to scoring twice with Pinamonti who first tested Turati with a header and then forced him to outdo himself to stop the penalty kick caused by the failure di Kyriakopoulos su Vasquez. An incident along the way that the rossoblù were able to overcome brilliantly, starting again strongly and striking with Miretti la crossbar at the beginning of the second half. To see their efforts rewarded, the Ligurians had to wait until the 61st minute, a minute in which The winter he entered the area perfectly on a free kick taken by Cornet and with a header he beat Turati. The turning point of the match: Monza was in fact no longer able to react and effectively surrendered to a much more toned Genoa team capable of definitively closing the game in the 84th minute with another header, that of Vasquez who anticipated everyone and fully capitalized on the cross from the new entrant Cornet.

First half

Great dynamism and a high pace set the pace of a very hard-fought match, which saw the two teams face each other openly and across the entire pitch. Finding gaps in the opposing defence seemed anything but simple, at least in the first quarter of an hour. In the 16th minute, however, Monza – who had started with a better attitude thanks to the build-up from the back – struck the first bell of the evening with a diagonal shot by Kyriakopoulos which comes at the end of a textbook action and is providentially deflected out wide by an opponent. A warning bell for the rossoblù who take at least twenty minutes to find the right depth but, when they do so thanks to excellent overlaps, they create their first opportunity: a header from Pinamonti and Turati deflects it into a corner. The Brianza goalkeeper does even better a few moments later, in the 29th minute, because Kyriakopoulos – on the developments of that corner – he stretches Vasquez causing a penalty that Pinamonti was saved by Turati, beating him at a poor angle. The home team did not let themselves be discouraged by their number 19's mistake and tried to close in on the attack, coming close to scoring in the 37th minute with a shot by Miretti that was lifted into a corner by Izzi. To complicate a second half of the first half in difficulty for Monza, Akpa Akpro was injured, forced to leave his place to Bianco a few moments before the interval, using up the first substitution slot.

Second half

After the break, Bocchetti also took off Kyriakopoulos – who had already been booked – and brought on Dany Mota Carvalho, but Genoa picked up the thread of the situation where they had essentially left it and started again with a sensational opportunity: on a cross from the right by Pinamonti, Miretti he heads off and hits the crossbar. Pinamonti as an additional playmaker in attack is a real factor and in the 57th minute he inspires yet another goal-scoring opportunity for the rossoblù by clearing the ball with a header Thorsby, who enters the area and kicks a cross shot that finds a great response from Turati. The new arrival pounces on the rebound from the Brianza goalkeeper Cornet who, a few steps from the goal, fails to find the target and starts in a position of offside. The time for Genoa to take the lead seems to be ripe, however, and in fact in the 61st minute the rossoblù, following a free kick from the three-quarter line, scored the 1-0 with The winter who attacks the second post, emerging from behind the opposing defenders and heading the ball home. With his Monza trailing in the score, then, Bocchetti tries to give weight to the attack by first bringing on Petagna and then the new arrival Lekovic together with Vignato, while Vieira responds by bringing on Ekuban in place of a positive Pinamonti despite the missed penalty. Despite the changes made by the Monza coach, Genoa continues to play the game thanks to a greater dynamism that leads to winning many duels especially in midfield. The natural consequence is the doubling which arrives at the 84th minute when Vasquez he slips into the area perfectly on Cornet's cross and beats everyone – including Thorsby – to score the 2-0 with a header, which closes the game a few minutes before Doveri's final whistle. The scoreboard: Genoa (4-3-3): Leali; Sabelli, De Winter, Vasquez, Martin; Masini, Frendrup, Kassa (from 55' Cornet); Thorsby (from 86' Ekathor), Pinamonti (from 77' Ekuban), Miretti (from 86' Vitinha). Coach Vieira. Monza (4-4-2): Turati; D'Ambrosio (from 74' Lekovic), Izzo, Carboni, Kyriakopoulos (from 45' Dany Mota); Ciurria, Akpa Akpro (from 44' Bianco), Urbanski, Pedro Pereira; Caprari (from 68' Vignato), Maldini (from 68' Petagna). Coach Bocchetti. Scorers: De Winter (Genoa 61'), Vasquez (Genoa 84'). Note - Yellow cards: Caprari, Kyriakopoulos, Akpa Akpro, Bianco.