Genoa Atalanta: Hien Seals Late Win After Leali Red Card

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Isak Hien headed a dramatic winner in the 94th minute as Atalanta edged Genoa 1-0, finally turning constant late pressure into three points against 10 players. Genoa had played almost the entire Serie A match a player short after Nicola Leali’s early dismissal, yet Daniele De Rossi’s team resisted stubbornly until stoppage time.

The decisive moment came from a corner, when Hien escaped any marker and met the delivery with a firm header into an unguarded goal. Replacement goalkeeper Daniele Sommariva had been impressive throughout and reacted late, but could not recover as the ball dropped into the empty net, leaving Genoa with nothing.

The contest’s key incident arrived after just three minutes, when Daniel Maldini ran clear for Atalanta and was brought down outside the box by Leali. Referee punishment was immediate, with a straight red card shown for denying a clear scoring chance at 2:44. Gianluca Scamacca sent the resulting free-kick over, before Charles De Ketelaere forced Sommariva into a sharp early save.

Despite being reduced to 10 players, Genoa created serious chances of their own. Johan Vazquez and Vitinha both drew strong stops from Marco Carnesecchi before half-time, showing Atalanta’s defence was far from secure. Just 52 seconds after the interval, Vitinha struck the post with a first-time effort, then Lorenzo Colombo’s glancing header again tested Carnesecchi as Genoa threatened an unlikely result.

Atalanta gradually increased control and finished with 16 attempts worth 1.6 expected goals, after initially finding little space against a deep Genoa block. Genoa still produced three shots on target, compared to four for Atalanta, underlining the balance. Two of Atalanta’s accurate efforts arrived from the 87th minute onwards, including Hien’s late winner from the corner.

Hien’s close-range header was the defender’s first league goal of the season and continued a trend for Atalanta. They have now scored five times in the final 15 minutes, a period where Inter have netted eight goals and Cremonese six. That late effectiveness separated the sides after Genoa’s long defensive effort with 10 players.

Leali’s dismissal also carried a statistical footnote. The Genoa goalkeeper’s red card at 2:44 made Leali only the second Serie A goalkeeper since the 1994-95 season to be sent off within the opening three minutes. The other case involved Luca Marchegiani for Lazio against Cagliari in October 1996.

Elsewhere in Serie A, bottom side Fiorentina finally claimed a first league victory of the campaign at the 16th attempt, defeating 10-man Udinese 5-1. The result eased pressure after a long winless stretch and underlined how numerical advantages shaped several matches, mirroring Atalanta’s encounter with Genoa.

The night closed with Atalanta celebrating a narrow away success and Genoa reflecting on a missed opportunity after long resistance with 10 players. Statistical markers from Leali’s dismissal, Atalanta’s late scoring record and Fiorentina’s 5-1 win over Udinese added further context to an eventful Serie A round.