Inter Milan was unable to secure a victory in their Serie A opener as Genoa managed a 2-2 draw with a late penalty on Saturday. Despite Marcus Thuram’s two goals for Inter, Genoa’s late penalty, converted by Junior Messias after a save and rebound, leveled the score late in stoppage time.

Thuram, who had an impressive debut season in Italy, scored in each half to initially give Inter the lead. Alessandro Vogliacco had surprised Inter with the opening goal. This draw was especially significant as it featured two coaches who led their teams last season.

Simone Inzaghi’s Inter, the reigning Serie A champions, started strongly in Genoa with Thuram and Hakan Çalhano?lu both having early opportunities. However, Genoa took the lead through Vogliacco in the 20th minute, capitalizing on a fumble by Inter’s goalkeeper, Yann Sommer.

Thuram equalized ten minutes later with a header before a disallowed penalty decision and missed opportunities by both teams. Ultimately, Genoa’s late penalty sealed the draw, denying Inter a winning start to their title defense.

In another Serie A match, newly-promoted Parma held Fiorentina to a 1-1 draw. Parma’s Dennis Man opened the scoring, but Fiorentina equalized through Cristiano Biraghi. Fiorentina’s chances of a win were hindered by Marin Pongracic’s red card in the 83rd minute.

Raffaele Palladino made his debut as Fiorentina’s coach in the match, while his former team, Monza, played against Empoli later. The draw and the close matches marked an exciting start to the Serie A season, with new coaching setups and promising performances by various teams.