In a thrilling opening match of the Serie A season, Inter Milan were held to a 2-2 draw by Genoa at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. The match featured a dramatic late equalizer from Junior Messias, denying the defending champions a winning start.
Genoa took an unexpected lead in the 20th minute when Alessandro Vogliacco capitalized on a rebound off the crossbar, tapping the ball into the net to send the home crowd into a frenzy. Inter responded ten minutes later, with Marcus Thuram showcasing his aerial ability by heading in a well-placed cross from Nicolo Barella, leveling the score at 1-1.
The match saw its share of controversy when Thuram was brought down in the box by Genoa captain Milan Badelj, but after a VAR review, the penalty appeal was overturned, leaving Inter frustrated.
After the halftime break, Inter ramped up their attacking efforts, but a goal from Federico Dimarco was disallowed for offside, leading to heated protests from manager Simone Inzaghi, who received a yellow card for his outburst.
As the match neared its conclusion, Thuram struck again in the 82nd minute, receiving a perfectly timed through ball and delicately lifting it over Genoa goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini to give Inter a 2-1 lead. The visitors seemed poised to secure all three points, but the drama was far from over.
In the dying moments of stoppage time, a misdirected header from Inter defender Yann Bisseck led to a penalty for Genoa after a foul was committed in the box. Messias stepped up to take the penalty, but his initial effort was saved by Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer. However, Messias reacted quickly, pouncing on the rebound to slot the ball home, securing a dramatic equalizer for Genoa.
After the match, Inzaghi expressed his disappointment, stating, “A team like ours, leading in the 84th minute, shouldn’t allow any more goals, especially in that manner. Football doesn’t guarantee anything. Today, we needed to put in a bit more effort. Kudos to Genoa, but this draw brings little satisfaction given our chances.”
