Chievo breathes: 1-0 at Genoa
CHIEVO-GENOA 1-0
51′ Castro (C)
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Chievo wins a crucial match in terms of salvation, beating Genoa by a narrow margin, 1-0 signed by Castro at the beginning of the second half. A game with two faces: ugly in the first half, exciting in the second after the clivense goal with continuous frontal reversals even if the best chances are of the clivense brand. Chievo rises to 34 points, Genoa remains on 28 points. Next Sunday: Genoa-Empoli, Napoli-Chievo.
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First half. Match immediately in balance, Dzemali tries on a free kick from outside, ball to the stars. Chievo responds, M’Poku goes off on the right and centers, Birsa’s shot from the edge produces no effect whatsoever. The match is conditioned in flashes by the wind, the forwards of both teams do not find the right precision: Pellissier kicks (always) to the stars, Laxalt’s foray on the left is deflected into a corner by Gobbi: strike from the crossbar, nothing done. Genoa often and willingly takes the initiative, Chievo looks for the scramble in this first half. Repeated errors in the median part of the field accompany the two teams to the half-hour mark. Trying to break the boredom, Radovanovic, a rasoterra neutralized by Perin so far a spectator like Bizzarri. More dangerous another rasoterra, in the 31st minute, by Birsa, turned off not far from the second post. The Verona crowd begins to get impatient and a few whistles rain down from the stands toward Dainelli and his teammates. 42′: Thrill for Bizzarri, lucky for him and Chievo that Cerci’s parabola from the right towards the far post ends up just wide. End of the half and here is Chievo creating havoc in the Ligurian area: two corners won in a minute, the Genoan rearguard unravels. In the minute of recovery, contact in the area, Pellissier falls into contact with Ansaldi, the referee lets it go.
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Second half. Better start for Chievo, Birsa engages Perin on a free kick. Maran’s boys accelerate. In the 6th minute Cacciatore’s cut center from the right, the ball aided by the wind plummets to the second post where Castro is lurking and inserts under the goal. Chievo wants the double, Pellissier finisher for Birsa, ready the low shot, equally the save of the Ligurian extreme. 10′: free kick from the left by the usual Birsa, the ball crosses the entire area without anyone being able to find the winning deflection. Genoa takes a few minutes to compose itself. 11′: Golden service by Cerci for Matavz, the forward chinches, the Cliveno rearguard saves. 12′: Pandev in for Suso in Genoa. But it’s Rigoni who has 2-0 on his foot, the midfielder shuts down a great Chievo play but sees his underhit kick deflected into the corner. Gasperini shuffles the cards again: in comes Tachtsidis for Dzemaili. Perin has to work overtime on Mpoku’s shot while between Bizzarri’s hands Cerci’s long-range conclusion ends up. Cerci himself is the third substituted by Gasperini: in goes Lazovic in the 18th minute. Three changes in the Ligurian ranks in just 10 minutes: clear the strategy of the Rossoblù coach to scatter the field, trying to give new offensive reference points to his team. Out goes Rigoni for the returning Hetemaj in Chievo. Next, after a wonderful save by Perin on Birsa, here comes the Slovenian’s substitution for another returnee: Meggiorini. Genoa centers dangerously on a couple of occasions, a defensive mix-up between Bizzarri and his men could have consequences on the result, the referee stopping everything for an attacking foul. 36′: on the head of Genoa’s Rigoni passes the ball of the equalizer but his break is central, Bizzarri neutralizes. Ligurians believe in it Matavz centers but it’s too long. 37′: Castro out for Frey in Chievo. Genoa pushes in the last minutes, Chievo suffers and literally “eats” the double with Pellissier and Hetemaj. Four minutes of stoppage time, continuous scrums in the Chievo area but Genoa cannot find the equalizer. Triple whistle: Chievo-Genoa 1-0.
