Genoa (dpa) – Thanks to a crazy final phase, CFC Genoa, headed by German coach Alexander Blessin, managed a coup against Juventus Turin and can dream of staying up in Serie A again.
The team from Liguria beat Italy’s record soccer champions 2-1 (0-0) on Friday evening. In the table, Genoa reduced the gap to the non-relegation zone to one point – the direct rivals Salernitana around Franck Ribéry and Cagliari still play against each other on Sunday evening on the third to last match day.
Domenico Criscito scored the celebrated winning goal in the Stadio Luigi Ferraris with a penalty kick in the sixth minute of added time. The captain had guts: a week earlier he missed a penalty in the 96th minute in the 1-0 derby against Sampdoria.
“We are still alive,” said Coach Blessin afterwards on Sky. “It’s hard to express my feelings, but I’ve aged 30 years today. The last 15 minutes have been incredible, indescribable.”
Favorite Juventus looked like the sure winner for a long time after the goal by Paulo Dybala (48th). In the end it got dramatic: First the referee took back a penalty kick for Juventus after video evidence (85′), then substitute Albert Gudmundsson made it 1-1 (87′). In the 88th minute, the German national player Nadiem Amiri missed after a hair-raising mistake by Juve from around eleven meters. In injury time, Turin’s Moise Kean did not hit the empty goal in a counterattack from eleven meters. Shortly thereafter, Kelvin Yeboah was fouled in the Juve penalty area – and Criscito coolly provided ecstasy and new hope at CFC Genoa.