Sunday at the Ferraris had everything. A stunning long-range opener. A tunnel brawl at half-time. Two red cards before the second half even started. A Sassuolo equaliser against ten men. And then, with six minutes left, a goal that almost certainly secured Genoa’s Serie A survival for another season.
Final score: Genoa 2-1 Sassuolo. Daniele De Rossi ran to celebrate under the stand afterwards. You could understand why.
The Background
Going into Matchweek 32, Genoa sat in 13th place on 33 points — still uncomfortable, still looking over their shoulder at the relegation zone. The win moves them to 36 points, now nine clear of the bottom three with just six games left. As escapes go, this was a significant one.
Sassuolo, managed by Fabio Grosso — like De Rossi, a 2006 World Cup winner with Italy — came in tenth on 42 points, already mathematically safe. The stakes were clearly higher on one side of the technical area than the other.
The match also had a subplot worth noting. Since 2019-20, Ruslan Malinovskyi has scored 21 goals from outside the penalty area. According to Opta, only Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé have managed more in that same period. On Sunday, he added another one to that tally.
First Half: Malinovskyi’s Moment
Sassuolo had the first real chance of the afternoon. Andrea Pinamonti got his head to a delivery but sent it narrowly over the bar. Genoa responded through Vitinha, whose effort from range forced Arijanet Muric into a save low to his left.
The opening goal came in the 18th minute and it was worth the admission price alone. Malinovskyi received the ball roughly 25 yards out, shifted onto his left foot, and curled a shot into the top corner. Muric did not move. The Ferraris erupted. It was the Ukrainian’s sixth league goal of the season — and quite possibly his best.
From there, Genoa controlled the first half without ever truly cutting loose. Vitinha went close again from a corner routine. Colombo and Baldanzi flickered without really threatening. Sassuolo’s Berardi had a couple of attempts that came to nothing. At half-time, it was 1-0 to the hosts and everything seemed straightforward.
Then the teams walked towards the tunnel.
The Brawl
What exactly triggered it started earlier in the half — an uncalled foul on Koné that left Sassuolo’s players frustrated. As the whistle blew for half-time, Berardi and Genoa’s Sabelli began arguing near the touchline. Vitinha stepped in and physically pushed Berardi away from the confrontation — towards the tunnel entrance.
That’s when Ellertsson appeared.
The Icelandic midfielder came in from behind and went for Berardi, and what followed was a full tunnel fight involving several players from both sides. Vasquez, Muric, and others got involved trying to separate them. Referee Antonio Rapuano saw the whole thing and showed both Ellertsson and Berardi straight red cards.
Both teams emerged for the second half with ten men each. Neither manager had planned for this.
Second Half: Koné Levels, Ekuban Wins It
With Berardi gone, you might have expected Sassuolo to struggle. Instead, the opposite happened. Ten men or not, they took control of the second period and found the equaliser they deserved.
In the 57th minute, from a corner, Tarik Muharemovic won an aerial challenge in the box. Ismaël Koné reacted quickest to the loose ball and poked it home. 1-1. The Canadian midfielder’s goal sent the away section into noise and suddenly Genoa looked vulnerable.
De Rossi had already made his changes by this point — Masini and Martin replacing Malinovskyi and Baldanzi at the 55-minute mark, with Ekuban coming on for Colombo. That last substitution turned out to be the decisive one.
With six minutes left, Genoa built a move down the right that summed up everything good about their attacking intent. Sabelli — ironically the man whose confrontation with Berardi had sparked the tunnel chaos — played a backheel to Messias in behind. Messias crossed first time into the box. Ekuban, arriving on the run, finished from close range. 2-1. Game over.
The Ferraris went up. De Rossi punched the air and sprinted towards the supporters at full-time.
What It Means
For Genoa, nine points above the drop zone with six games remaining is as close to safety as it gets without being mathematically confirmed. Cremonese and Lecce now occupy the relegation places, and they would need a historically dramatic collapse from the Grifone to drag them back into it.
De Rossi has done a solid job since taking the role. This squad is not spectacular — but they are competitive, they stay in games, and they have players capable of moments of genuine quality. Malinovskyi is the obvious example, but Ekuban’s impact off the bench has been valuable throughout the season.
For Sassuolo, the defeat changes nothing in terms of their table position — they stay tenth and remain comfortable. But Berardi’s sending off will concern Grosso. The Sassuolo captain losing his head in a tunnel brawl is not what a manager needs at this stage of the season. He will be suspended for the next fixture.
Statistically, Genoa edged possession at 51.8% to 48.2%, and finished with seven shots on goal to Sassuolo’s six. Fourteen attempts to fifteen. Corners five to three. A genuinely competitive match right up until Ekuban made it anything but.
For the latest Serie A coverage and live scores, visit fawanews.org.uk. Full standings, results and fixtures are published on the official Lega Serie A website.
Match Summary
Genoa 2-1 Sassuolo Serie A, Matchweek 32 | Sunday, 12 April 2026 Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa | Referee: Antonio Rapuano (ITA)
Goals: Ruslan Malinovskyi 18′ (Genoa), Ismaël Koné 57′ (Sassuolo), Caleb Ekuban 84′ (Genoa)
Red Cards: Mikael Ellertsson 45’+2′ (Genoa), Domenico Berardi 45’+2′ (Sassuolo) — tunnel brawl at half-time
Genoa (3-4-2-1): Bijlow; Marcandalli, Østigard, Vásquez; Ellertsson, Malinovskyi (Masini 55′), Frendrup, Sabelli (Otoa 87′); Baldanzi (Martin 55′), Vitinha (Messias 75′); Colombo (Ekuban 55′)
Sassuolo (3-5-2): Muric; Walukiewicz (Coulibaly 67′), Idzes, Muharemovic, Doig (Lipani 81′); Thorstvedt, Matic (Volpato 67′), Koné (Moro 87′); Berardi, Pinamonti (Iannoni 81′), Laurienté
Stats: Possession: Genoa 51.8% — Sassuolo 48.2% | Shots on Goal: 7-6 | Attempts: 14-15 | Corners: 5-3 | Half-time: 1-0
