The best Genoa of the season. No doubt. Here you are, at Marassi against Cagliari, team that absolutely needed points to reach safety, we saw the Genoa that the fans wanted: orderly, decisive, perfectly played by Alberto Gilardino, who now seems one step away from signing a three-year contract with the Grifone.
And that’s how the 3-0 arrived against Ranieri’s team, who actually showed up at Ferraris without at least 4 injured starters.
Undeserved result, which could take on incredible proportions (5-0, 6-0…) if the conclusions were rotated Thorsby, De Winter, Retegui and in the end Vitinha had had better luck.
The Griffin dominated every area of the pitchand Cagliari never entered the match. In Genoa he loomed large and dragged his Thorsby teammates alongsent to the green rectangle almost as a surprise, after a period on the bench. Present in every action, he defended, countered, set up and attacked, scoring a spectacular header goal under the North steps after 17 minutes, coming close to scoring an encore in the second half denied by visiting goalkeeper Scuffet with a miracle save.
With him, all the others; impenetrable defense, with De Winter and Vasquez relentless and Vogliacco growing; midfield with Frendrup and Badely in great shape. On the wings, two authentic elusive “pendolini”.Sabelli and Martin who gave the Sardinian team a big boost. Forward Retegui very generous and not very lucky in his conclusions and the usual Gudmundssonwho, even if sometimes you don’t see much, always finds the winning touch, and with the goal in Cagliari the goals scored are in the championship already 14.
The substitutes Cittadini, Spence, Bohinen, Haps and Vitinha also performed well.
At the end of the race Ranieri, Cagliari coach, complimented Gilardino and Genoa’s perfect match. He also thanked him as he went to sit on the bench the Genoa public who gave him, almost surprisingly, a long round of applause. And then laughing after the match he took it out on Thorsby, who he coached three years ago at Sampdoria: “But you should have guessed such an amazing match against me…”.
In short, a great evening of celebration and sport. Which had started an hour before the race when the unforgettable Genoa striker took to the pitch Sidio Corradi, awarded by president Zangrillo and with whom he went to get a real ovation under “his” North steps.
Yes, we witnessed the perfect evening. A great Genoa. There is no discussion.
As we titled, “A Griffin from the North”, with goals from a Norwegian, a Dane and an Icelander. Show! They all went into hiding those that “they knew everything” and they laughed when the 777 signed them up.
THE SCORESHEET
Genoa-Cagliari 3-0
Networks: 17′ Thorsby, 26′ Frendrup
Genoa (3-5-2): Martinez 6; Vogliacco 6.5, De Winter 7, Vasquez 7 (73′ Citizens); Sabelli 7 (64′ Spence 7), Frendrup 8, Badelj 7.5 (73′ Bohinen 6), Thorsby 8, Martin 6.5 (64′ Haps 6); Gudmundsson 7 (78′ Vitinha 6), Retegui 6.5. (all.Gilardino).
Cagliari (3-4-2-1): Scuffet 6.5; Hatzidiakos 5.5 (46′ Zappa 6), Wieteska 5.5, Obert 5; Di Pardo 5.5 (46′ Nandez 6), Deiola 6, Prati 6, Augello 5.5 (84′ Mutandwa sv); Oristanio 5.5 (46′ Lapadula 5.5), Gaetano 5.5; Shomurodov 5 (73′ Azzi sv).
Referee: Federico Dionisi of Rieti 7.
by FRANCO RICCIARDI
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