Atalanta-Genoa 1-1; Europe at only 1 point

Mimmo Criscito scores the equalizer in the 90th minute

Today Genoa played one the most bad matches of the season, but we had some excuses: at first of course the derby last week. We missed 3 important line-up players with Biava (injured), Ferrari and Motta (both banned) and also our supporters could not support the team today. Genoa started with the excepted 3 very young defenders: Sokratis (20), Bocchetti (22) and Criscito (22) and they saved the match together with goalkeeper Rubinho. After only 9 minutes Sergio Floccari (the newspapers say he already signed a contract with Genoa and plays with us next season) ran towards Rubinho and passed the ball besides to Valdés who could easily score the opening-goal: 1-0.     

Salvatore Bocchetti (with his derby-nose) and Sergio Floccari (ex and new Genoano !?)

Before halftime Genoa received 3 yellowcards and all 3 players are banned next week against Chievo: Sokratis, Criscito and Mesto. Only Diego Milito was once close to the equalizer in the 45th minute, but Rubinho saved the biggest chance of the first half of Atalanta by Floccari so we could be happy halftime arrived with only 1-0.

In the second half with Rossi and Jankovic in stead of Milanetto and Mesto our team played a lot better. Several chances were missed but in the 90th minute with 11 against 9 (Guarente got a red card after 2 heavy fouls in only 5 seconds and Floccari left the field with an injury after Atalanta already substituted 3 players) our defender Mimmo Criscito enlarged a shot of Diego Milito into the goal: 1-1. In the 3 minutes extra time Genoa tried to win the match, but it ended with the 1-1 draw.

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Because Fiorentina beat Catania on Sicily we are now 3 points behind them on the 5th position in the standings. The advantage to number 7 Palermo is 9 points with only 3 matches to go, so we only need 1 point to be back in Europe after the 1-1 draw at 15th April 1992 in the Amsterdam Olympic Stadium against Ajax.  

Ajax - Genoa, semi-finals Coppa Uefa (15-04-1992)

Genoa with 5 youngsters against Atalanta

Diego Milito is happy during the derby

Tomorrow Genoa plays the first of the last 4 finals to reach Champions League, while qualification to European League (the new name of UEFA-cup) next season is almost nearby. Against Atalanta in Bergamo Mr. Gaperini misses banned Ferrari and Motta (both were send off by referee Morganti in the derby last week) and the injured: Scarpi, Biava, Paro and Olivera, so only 14 selection-players rest. This is the reason why Mr. Gasperini also selected 5 young players of the Primavera-team that this week won the Coppa Italia by beating A.S. Roma with 2-0 in the final. The 19 players for tommorow are:

Goalkeepers: Lamanna, Rubinho

Defenders: Ben Djemia, Bocchetti, Criscito, D’Alessandro, Sokratis

Midfielders: Costantini, Juric, Mesto, Milanetto, Modesto, Rossi, Vanden Borre

Strikers: Jankovic, Milito, Palladino, Romero, Sculli 

The Primavera-team shows the Coppa Italia after beating A.S. Roma in the final

To all the Genoani that want to see the derby over and over again: watch this great video made by Genoa-supporter Francesco Colombo:  http://video.libero.it/app/play?id=c0ad24ee487f7dd35371a4ffd54e6c… 

Genoa wins derby again: 3-1 (3 goals Milito)

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Genoa did win also the 2nd most important match of the season: the derby against Sampdoria. After the 0-1 victory in the first derby this year, now our Rossoblu team beat “the others of Genova” by 3-1. All 4 Genoa-goals in both derby’s were scored by Milito.

Diego Alberto Milito scored all Genoa-goals in the derby !!

It has to be said: the first 25 minutes of the match Sampdoria was the best team in the field, but then Genoa and especially Milito start playing. In the 29th minute goalkeeper Castellazzi could hardly save a great shot of Diego into corner. As often the corner was precisly kicked by Juric on the head of Biava who headed the ball in the far corner of the goal where Diego Milito could easily score his 17th goal of the season: 1-0.

Milito scores the first goal after the header of Biava

At the moment referee Morganti should whistle three times after the 3 minutes injury-time were played to stop the match because of halftime or 1 time because of off-side of Campagnaro, the Argentinian defender scored the equalizer: 1-1.

Just as in the first half also in the first minutes of the second part Sampdoria was the strongest team, but this time it lasted only a few minutes. In the 73rd minute the deserved goal arrived when Criscito blocked a ball that jumped towards Milito (in off-side position just as the equalizer of Sampdoria) who beat keeper Castellazzi easily: 2-1.

Milito scores the 2nd goal against Sampdoria in the 73rd minute

The last 23 (17 + 6 minutes injury-time) minutes were similar to the derby’s in Serie B some years ago. Too much passion, nervosity, agressivity and frustation inbetween the lines to play good football. The match ended with 19 players after red cards of Ferrari and Motta of Genoa and Campagnaro of Sampdoria. Believe it or not, with 9 against 10 in the 93rd minute the 2 Genoa-players Palladino and Milito ran alone towards goalkeeper Castellazzi and after the pass of Palladino topscorer Diego Alberto Milito could easily score his 3rd goal: 3-1, game over ! Genoa is the boss in the city this year !

The final result of the 2nd derby of 2008-2009: Genoa wins 3-1. 

Derby: stadium sold out, except visitors-area

The last derby was decided by Diego Milito who beat his rival Antonio Ca$$ano

The derby Sunday-evening at 20.30 hours is completely sold out to Genoa-supporters. Only 1500 Sampdoria-fans still have the opportunity to watch the game in the visitors-sector. Just as last year the Sampdoria-fans can be the reason that the homederby of Genoa is not sold out, while the visitors-area is every time the first completely sold out sector if Sampdoria plays at home. No doubt which team has the best and the most supporters !

Mr. Gasperini can play the derby with an almost complete selection. Only 2nd goalkeeper Alessio Scarpi is injured, all the other players are ready to beat Sampdoria the second time this season. Forza Genoa !

Bologna-Genoa 2-0, but Europe more nearby !

Marco di Vaio scores the first goal

Till today Genoa never lost 2 games in a row, so we all hoped and expected a revenge against Bologna. With an almost complete selection and Milito in the line-up everything seemed allright to play a good match, but we played one of the worst of this season. Just after Jankovic missed a great chance it was neo-international Bocchetti who made a big defensive error. In stead of shooting the ball inmediately out of our penaltyarea our 22 years old defender waited too long till Mingazzini arrived and then he kicked his legs in stead of the ball: penalty. Our friendly ex-striker Marco di Vaio realized the present and scored his 21st goal of the season. Only 10 minutes later also the second goal arrived: a free-kick of Adailton reached completely free Terzi at the far post who scored easily the second goal of Bologna. After the goals it was Genoa that played the game (64% ball-possession) and created several chances, but we never scored.

Believe it or not, but Cassano of our rivals of Sampdoria helped us to become even closer to European football with his late equalizer against Cagliari: 3-3. Because Fiorentina beat Roma by 4-1 we lost the 4th place in the standings, but on the other hand our advantage of Roma rested 5 points. Also our 2 other concurrents: Palermo and Lazio lost their matches, so the advantage of position 7 stayed 8 points, with only 5 playrounds to go.  

4.000 Genoa-fans celebrate return of Milito

Stadio Renato Dall’Ara of Bologna (with red-marked visitors sector of Genoa-fans)

Mr. Gasperini and his staff can use almost all players against Bologna tomorrow. Only the 3 substitutes: Alessio Scarpi, Matteo Paro and Anthony Vanden Borre are injured, while nobody is banned. The following 18 players are on the road to Bologna, where they can count on the support of 4.000 Genoa-fans tomorrow:

Goalkeepers: Lamanna, Rubinho

Defenders: Biava, Bocchetti, Criscito, Ferrari, Sokratis

Midfielders: Juric, Mesto, Milanetto, Modesto, Rossi, Thiago Motta

Strikers: Jankovic, Milito, Olivera, Palladino, Sculli

Milito and Milanetto back in the team

Diego Milito in Gradinata Nord during Genoa-Lazio (foto il Secolo XIX)

Today at the first training after the defeat against Lazio both Diego Milito and Omar Milanetto returned in the team after their injuries. In the meanwhile Genoa-fans bought within a little more than 24 hours all 2.000 tickets of the visitors-sector of Stadio Renato Dall’Ara of Bologna. Genoa now tries to get more tickets to our fans that want to support our team in the very important match next Sunday. 

Genoa lost 0-1 against Lazio, but stays 4th

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After 4 victories in a row without Diego Milito yesterday we missed our topscorer, who watched the match in Gradinata Nord. Genoa started very good and was several times close to the openinggoal with chances of Jankovic, Motta, Palladino, Criscito and Sculli but Lazio’s keeper Muslera saved his team every time. At halftime the score was still 0-0, but if Genoa would create as many chances as in the first half the openinggoal was just a matter of time. After 65 minutes the goal arrived, but at the other side. Lazio’s striker Zarate was faster than our Salvator Bocchetti and beat Rubinho in the far corner: 0-1. The goal broke Genoa that could not create big chances any more, so we lost the match.

Tiago Motta this time could not score

Luckily today Udinese beat Fiorentina (3-1), so we stay 4th in the standings. Next week Genoa plays in Bologna (18th in the standings) while numbers 5 (Fiorentina) and 6 (Roma, that beat Lecce today by 3-2) play against each other in Florence.    

Time to take revenge to Lazio tonight !!

Genoa scored again

So far this season there are only a few matches that Genoa did not get the points they earned. The match with the most “wrong” result was in Rome against Lazio, that ended in a 1-1 draw. The annulation of the goal of Milito was one of the biggest mistakes of a linesman in Serie A this season and our Diego also missed a penalty this match. The late goal of Dabo was the biggest mistake of our improved goalkeeper Rubinho this year. Last year Genoa lost the match against Lazio in Luigi Ferraris, so now we have to take revenge.

Mr. Gasperini selected the following 18 players against Lazio:

Goalkeepers: Lamanna, Rubinho

Defenders: Biava, Bocchetti, Criscito, Ferrari, Sokratis

Midfielders: Juric, Mesto, Modesto, Rossi, Thiago Motta, Vanden Borre

Strikers: El Shaarawy, Jankovic, Olivera, Palladino, Sculli

Comparing to the match against Juventus last week only injured Omar Milanetto is changed by Stephan el Shaarawy. Besides Omar we still miss Scarpi, Paro and Milito.