That’s a potentially decisive 1-0 win for Genoa today against Venezia, and you know who clinched it? Mikael Ellertsson, with an absolute screamer against his old team, that’s who. This wasn’t just any game, this was a pure relegation dogfight at Marassi, and Genoa came out on top, grabbing three massive points in what could be a turning point for their Serie A season.
Ellertsson’s Uncelebrated Masterpiece Stuns Venezia
Genoa needed this, especially after seeming to turn a corner with that 2-1 win over Fiorentina before getting shut down 2-0 at Roma. They came into this game with some real challenges, too, with Kingsley Ehizibue, Djibril Sow, and Lorenzo Venturino all out. Lorenzo Colombo and Amorim weren’t even at 100 percent, which meant Mario Mitaj got his Serie A debut. The Grifone took the early initiative, with a Leo Ostigard header that was easy for Filip Stankovic and Junior Messias drilling wide from the edge of the area. But then, Venezia, with Davide Nicola making a perfect start on their bench by beating Napoli 1-0 in their last outing, showed they were dangerous on the counter. Justin Bijlow had to make a tough save on John Yeboah after he combined with Akor Adams. Then it happened. Moments later, Genoa took the lead thanks to a sensational solo strike from Mikael Ellertsson. The former Venezia midfielder blasted a left-foot screamer from outside the area right into the near top corner. The dude didn’t even celebrate against his old club, showing some serious respect, but the impact was undeniable.
Venezia Fights Back, Genoa Holds On For Vital Points
Venezia, dealing with their own injury woes like Thierry Correia, Andrea Adorante, Marin Sverko, and Bartol Franjic, weren’t about to roll over. Junior Messias scuffed a volley just wide from a smart dinked Stephan El Shaarawy ball over the top, but Bijlow was tested again, having to push a Yeboah cross-shot around the far post. Venezia came out fighting for the restart, you could feel it. Ridgeciano Haps and Redouane Halhal had headers that weren’t up to scratch, and then Bijlow spilled snapshots from Kike Perez and Adams, but held firm. Simon Sohm should have done better with a free header over the bar from a corner, and Yeboah’s acrobatic attempt from another set play was deflected inches off target. Samuel Wiafe went off with a suspected groin injury, and the Kike Perez cross-shot flashed not far wide of the top corner. In added time, Bijlow had his gloves stung by Adams one more time, and he had to be absolutely dialed in to keep all three points. This 1-0 result, with Ellertsson’s 25th minute goal being the decider, was a gritty, hard-fought win.
This victory is absolutely massive for Genoa. In a brutal relegation fight, every single point is crucial, and to get three against a direct rival, well, that’s the stuff that keeps you in the league. The Grifone showed heart, especially holding on through Venezia’s late surges. This is the kind of result that can spark real momentum for the rest of the season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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