SASSUOLO, Italy (AP) — Genoa won its first game of the season by beating Sassuolo 2-1 with a last-gasp goal that lifted it off the bottom of Serie A on Monday.
It was particularly rewarding for interim coach Roberto Murgita, who replaced Patrick Vieira after the former Arsenal and France midfielder was fired last week.
Genoa rose to 18th in the 20-team table, one point ahead of Verona and two clear of last-placed Fiorentina.
Although it hasn’t won since May, visiting Genoa got off to a promising start from a corner kick. Goalkeeper Arijanet Murić’s clearance went as far as only Ruslan Malinovskyi, who fired a superb strike into the top corner from 25 meters out.
Domenico Berardi equalized for Sassuolo two minutes after halftime but Leo Østigård's glancing header in stoppage time sparked jubilant scenes in the Genoa dugout.
Sassuolo was in 11th place.
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