Udinese beats Marassi with Ekkelenkamp and Davis

Cynical, ruthless, capable of suffering. THE’Udinese beat Genoa 2-0 away at times master of the field but too wasteful. At Ferraris it is not the team that plays best that wins, but the one that seems to have something more to take the left side of the table. It is the goals from Ekkelenkamp and Davis that give Kosta Runjaic’s team a night in tenth place, awaiting Sassuolo’s match (decimated by a case of whooping cough in the team group) against Juventus.

The ambitions of De Rossi’s Genoa have been scaled back, remaining on 33 points in the standings

The growth in terms of the game is there and is evident, but in a Ferraris illuminated by the choreography of the north steps, the cynicism in front of goal seen against Roma and Verona was missing. In fact, there was no shortage of opportunities, especially from dead ball situations. Only Inter (20) have scored more than Genoa from set pieces in this championship and it is therefore not surprising that the rossoblu’s first chance comes from a free kick. On the other hand, the foot of Malinovskyi this year it’s magical again: 5 goals for the season, never so many since post-Atalanta.

In the 26th minute the Ukrainian kicks with power from an impossible position and with an illegible trajectory for Okoye hits the crossbar.Genoa dominates the game, while Udinese counts the errors. In the 28th minute Okoye takes the ball with a high exit and overwhelms Colombo. The risk is huge not only on the disciplinary side (strong rossoblu protests), but also because the ball ends up at the feet of Vitinha who misses the shot with an empty net.

For Udinese the dangers come from all sides, even from a corner: in the 35th minute Genoa empties the near post with a move, Malinovskyi crosses hard low into the small area where Colombo is unable to deflect it into the net. The AC Milan striker came close to scoring again two minutes later with a great volley from a tight angle: Okoye flew and touched the crossbar. It is Genoa’s eighth defeat of the season. There could have also been eight penalty kicks awarded in favor of the rossoblu, but referee Collu’s whistle for a handball from Kabasele in the area at the start of the second half was revoked by the VAR.

Udinese saved themselves and in the 66th minute scored on their first real chance

Zaniolo focuses on the left foot and brushes a soft ball into the area for Ekkelenkamp who heads ahead of both Ostigard and Bijlow and scores the 1-0. Genoa’s (at times disorderly) reaction was not enough. Indeed, Udinese suffers when they have to suffer and strikes on the second opportunity in injury time. Davis does it all who after a dull evening punctures the rossoblu defense and beats Bijlow with a diagonal. A merciless punishment for Genoa. Runjaic moves to -1 from Lazio.