MILAN — Mario Balotelli came close to netting his first goal since his return to Serie A, yet it was Napoli who secured a 2-1 victory against Genoa on Saturday, reclaiming the top position in the league after fending off a late surge from their opponents.
Balotelli, who made his return to Serie A after a considerable absence of over four years, has appeared in six matches thus far, contributing a total of 57 minutes on the field. The 34-year-old was brought on late in the game, just seven minutes before the final whistle, and nearly made an immediate impact. An attempt by Andrea Pinamonti, whose header grazed Balotelli’s knee, threatened to score, but Napoli’s goalkeeper Alex Meret was able to deflect the ball off the post, denying the potential goal.
Meret’s impressive saves in the second half were crucial as Genoa pressed hard to turn the game around after trailing by two goals at halftime, with both strikes originating from headers by Frank Anguissa and Amir Rrahmani. Genoa managed to narrow the gap shortly into the second half with a well-placed finish from Pinamonti to the bottom right corner. This match marked Genoa’s first defeat since appointing Patrick Vieira as head coach last month and also came on the heels of a change in ownership with Romanian businessman Dan ?ucu taking over the club.
Following this match, Genoa found themselves sitting in 13th place in Serie A, just two points above the relegation zone. In contrast, Napoli climbed to the top of the table, edging ahead of Atalanta, who are set to face Empoli on Sunday.
In another match, Lazio bounced back from a heavy 6-0 loss to Inter Milan with a narrow 2-1 win over struggling Lecce. Despite Lecce starting the second half with ten men, they put up a strong fight against Lazio. The turning point for Lecce came just before halftime when Taty Castellanos had a shot brilliantly saved by Wladimiro Falcone, only for his follow-up attempt to be cleared off the line by Frédéric Guilbert, resulting in a straight red card for the Lecce defender. Castellanos converted the resulting penalty to give Lazio the lead.
However, Lecce showcased their resilience, leveling the match through Tete Morente’s volley just five minutes into the second half. As the game progressed, it looked as though the ten-man side might secure a vital point. Nonetheless, Adam Marusic, making a late entry as a substitute, found the net three minutes from the end, securing a win for Lazio. Lecce almost pulled off a dramatic equalizer in injury time, but Mohamed Kaba’s header hit the crossbar.
Lazio’s victory propelled them into fourth place, while Lecce continued to breathe a little easier, remaining two points above the relegation zone. Meanwhile, Bologna managed to secure a 2-0 victory over Torino, despite having a penalty saved during the match.
