In less than compelling fashion Genoa's impressive run of success at Stadio Luigi Ferraris came to a bitter end as they fell to Inter Milan 2-0. The match, while pockmarked with a highly dubious call awarding the Nerazzurri a second goal, firmly established Genoa's recent problems and their growing lack of confidence.The match started with resounding hope for the Rossoblu as less than a minute in Boško Janković provided Diego Milito a perfectly weighted through ball. However finishing deserted the striker and as the ball drifted painfully wide, hope turned to anguish as Dejan Stanković, a product of Crvena zvezda, sent a long ball Zlatan Ibrahimović to which the Swedish international delicately chipped over Genoa 'keeper Rubinho. Dismayed by the goal, the Rossoblu crawled into a shell for a spell before slowly showing confidence going forward. Finally José Mourinho's side were were threatened just over twenty minutes in as Thiago Motta's header brought out the best from Júlio César. However for the most part, Genoa's carousel movement was predictable to the Nerazzurri's defending fortress.
After the break a early effort Giuseppe Biava from ten metres out went for naught and with the attacking vengeance of Genoa lacking any venom Raffaele Palladino came in for Boško Janković four minutes before the hour. However five minutes later Inter's brilliant young striker Mario Balotelli circumvented Rubinho and dispatched a painfully weak shot towards the line. With the ball languishing a whisper to net side of the line, Marco Rossi cleared it out but in highly dubious moment, the linesman ruled the ball had crossed and Inter had a two goal advantage. Certainly it is a called that will not be forgotten for quite some time, debated by many and raise a suspecting eyebrow towards the need for a more technological savvy method for deciding matters such as these. However that aside, Genoa came back to some degree searching for a way back but fortune wasn't to fall their way and the match concluded without further mark and the Rossoblu lost 2-0.
Photo Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport
