Udinese produced a disciplined and clinical display at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, defeating Genoa 2-0 on Serie A Matchday 30 in a match that told two very different stories on either side of the pitch.
The hosts, coached by Daniele De Rossi, began brightly and dominated large spells of the first half.
Genoa created the clearer openings, with Ruslan Malinovskyi and Lorenzo Colombo both going agonisingly close, each striking the crossbar in a frustrating spell that left the home crowd wondering how their side were not ahead.
Udinese, meanwhile, struggled to build meaningful attacks in the opening half and were largely kept on the back foot.
However, they stayed compact defensively, absorbing pressure and forcing Genoa into wasteful finishing despite the Rossoblù’s territorial control.
Early in the second half, Genoa’s frustration deepened when they were initially awarded a penalty, only for referee Giuseppe Collu to overturn the decision after a VAR review.
It was another setback in a game where fine margins were already going against the home side.
Udinese then punished their opponents with their first real moment of quality. Nicolò Zaniolo played a key role in the build-up, setting up Jurgen Ekkelenkamp, who rose well to head home the opening goal and shift the momentum firmly in favour of the visitors.
As Genoa pushed forward in search of an equaliser, spaces opened up late on, and Udinese made sure of the result in stoppage time.
Substitute Davis finished off a counterattack to seal a 2-0 win, handing Kosta Runjaic’s side a valuable away victory while leaving Genoa to reflect on a dominant performance undone by missed chances and VAR disappointment.
