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Both Gilardino and Italiano introduced some changes. For the Grifone, Biraschi was in defense instead of Vogliacco, who was not at his best. Viola, on the other hand, surprised with Brekalo instead of Ikone starting on the left. The match got off to a nightmarish start for Genoa, as they found themselves down 0-2 within just eleven minutes. The first goal came from Biraghi, who unleashed a powerful right-footed shot into the net. Seven minutes later, Bonaventura “punctured” Martinez after he touched Gonzalez’s attempt on the post, but couldn’t do anything about the tap-in from the Viola’s attacking midfielder. Fiorentina dominated the first twenty minutes, with their possession-based play causing significant problems for Genoa’s midfield, which struggled but attempted to rally with a Badelj attempt that brushed the post at the 23rd minute. The Rossoblu seemed to improve briefly, but at the 40th minute, Gonzalez headed the ball past Martinez from Biraghi’s corner, securing the third goal for Viola.
The monologue continued in the second half as Fiorentina maintained complete control of the field. Scoring the fourth goal was effortless for them: a cross into the middle was met by Mandragora, who, with no opposition, sent the ball past Martinez. The match was effectively sealed, but Genoa found a way to respond, and a few minutes later, Biraschi netted their first Serie A goal since their return. The home team appeared to grow, especially after the formation switch by Gilardino, which mirrored Italiano’s. Although not much changed in their attacking, the spirit certainly shifted. An opportunity for a second goal arose five minutes before the end, but Terraciano skillfully intercepted the last Rossoblu attempt. The final whistle came as a relief. Marassi’s atmosphere was a celebration only for the fans who await new signings to witness a Genoa that can truly match Serie A’s demands.
Genoa-Fiorentina 1-4, Line-up and Ratings
Scorers: 4′ Biraghi, 11′ Bonaventura, 39′ Gonzalez, 56′ Mandragora, 58′ Biraschi
Genoa (3-5-2): Martinez 5.5; Biraschi 5, Bani 6, Dragusin 5.5; Hefti 5 (59′ Vasquez 5.5), Frendrup 6, Badelj 5.5 (59′ Jagiello 6), Thorsby 5, Martin 5.5 (59′ Ekuban 6); Gudmundsson 6, Retegui 5.5.
Fiorentina (4-2-3-1): Terracciano 6; Kayode 7, Milenkovic 6, Ranieri 6, Biraghi 7; Arthur 6.5, Mandragora 6.5 (82′ Duncan n/a); Nico Gonzalez 7 (72′ Sottil n/a), Bonaventura 7 (88′ Infantino n/a), Brekalo 7; Nzola 5.5 (82′ Beltran n/a).
Referee: Ayroldi
Notes: Yellow Cards: Retegui, Biraghi, Bonaventura, Bani”