Piotrowski pulls Udinese level in the second half, but a late counterattacking finish from Norton-Cuffy hands Genoa all three points at the Bluenergy Stadium.
Udinese fell 2–1 at home to Genoa in a match that swung repeatedly in momentum but ultimately slipped away in the final minutes. With head coach Przemyslaw Malecki on the touchline, the Bianconeri showed energy and intent yet were punished late, conceding a decisive goal to Norton-Cuffy after having drawn level through Piotrowski.
Udinese began on the front foot, testing Leali early through an angled free kick from Ekkelenkamp. Genoa’s first look came via Norton-Cuffy, whose wayward strike did little to worry Okoye. The hosts maintained pressure and appeared the more proactive side, but the match tilted suddenly just after the half-hour mark: Okoye brought down an opponent in the box, and Ruslan Malinovskyi converted the resulting penalty with trademark composure.
The Friulani reacted well. Solet fired over from distance, Modesto forced Leali into another save, and Piotrowski timed a near-post run perfectly but pushed his finish wide. Genoa’s response—a strong volley from Thorsby—kept Okoye alert heading into halftime.
The second half opened with Genoa asserting themselves through Vitinha and Davis, both missing the target by narrow margins. Udinese, however, grew stronger as the minutes progressed. Bertola threatened twice from set pieces, Zaniolo saw a shot blocked after a smart pull-back from Piotrowski, and Piotrowski again went close with a header at the hour mark.
The Polish midfielder eventually equalized in the 65th minute, arriving at the perfect time to meet Modesto’s cut-back and hammer home the 1–1 goal. The stadium lifted, and Udinese seemed poised to push on.
But Genoa struck back with force. Okoye produced a brilliant reaction save on Colombo’s close-range header, while Solet skimmed the far post at the other end. The final turning point came eight minutes from time: Genoa broke in transition, Okoye parried the initial shot, and Norton-Cuffy pounced on the rebound for the 2–1 lead.
Udinese mounted one last siege. Buksa’s header floated inches over the bar, and Lovric fired through a crowd in the dying seconds, but Leali and the Genoa back line held firm. The defeat keeps Udinese on 18 points and temporarily stalls their climb up the Serie A table.
Match Report
Udinese 1–2 Genoa
Scorers:
34’ Malinovskyi (G, penalty), 65’ Piotrowski (U), 83’ Norton-Cuffy (G)
Udinese (3-5-2)
Okoye; Bertola, Kabasele, Solet; Zanoli (72’ Ehizibue), Piotrowski (86’ Bravo), Karlstrom, Ekkelenkamp (86’ Lovric), Zemura (14’ Modesto); Zaniolo, Davis (72’ Buksa).
Coach: Przemyslaw Malecki
Genoa (3-5-2)
Leali; Marcandalli, Otoa, Vásquez; Norton-Cuffy, Masini, Malinovskyi (75’ Messias), Thorsby, Martin; Vitinha (63’ Ekuban), Colombo (75’ Ekhator).
Coach: Daniele De Rossi
Referee: Maresca
Bookings: Karlstrom (U)
Sending Offs: None
Attendance: 23,356
