Hojlund Seals Napoli Win With Late Penalty After 10-man Genoa Fightback

Add as a preferred source on Google

Rasmus Hojlund converted a 95th-minute penalty as Napoli edged Genoa 3-2, keeping the Serie A title defence alive. The win moves Antonio Conte's team to within six points of leaders Inter, who still have to play on Sunday, after a tense contest at Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris.

Hojlund, who had not scored in Serie A during 2026 before this trip, struck twice at a crucial moment in Napoli's season. The forward first reacted to a loose ball on 20 minutes, then kept composure deep into stoppage time, despite earlier defensive mistakes and a late red card leaving Napoli under pressure.

The match opened badly for Napoli as Alessandro Buongiorno misjudged a long pass within the first minute. Alex Meret then brought down Vitinha inside the area, allowing Ruslan Malinovskyi to score from the spot. Genoa’s strong start increased tension for Conte, with the home crowd sensing vulnerability in the visiting defence.

Napoli hit back quickly after Malinovskyi’s goal. Hojlund pounced on a rebound to equalise, showing sharp reactions in the box. Barely two minutes later, Scott McTominay put the visitors 2-1 ahead with a powerful strike from around 35 yards, finding the bottom-left corner and briefly swinging momentum towards Napoli.

Buongiorno’s difficult night continued when Lorenzo Colombo dispossessed the defender near halfway. Colombo sprinted clear and finished calmly past Meret to restore parity for Genoa at 2-2. That goal lifted Daniele De Rossi's side, who pushed forward and created further danger against a visibly unsettled Napoli back line.

Napoli’s position worsened on 76 minutes when Juan Jesus collected a second yellow card. The defender committed a needless foul on Brooke Norton-Cuffy, leaving Napoli with ten players for the closing stages. Genoa then looked the likelier side to claim victory as pressure mounted around the away penalty area.

Conte’s team survived and still found a late breakthrough. Antonio Vergara drew a foul from Maxwell Cornet inside the box during stoppage time. Hojlund stepped up and struck his penalty low, and the ball squeezed underneath Justin Bijlow to secure a dramatic away victory, celebrated strongly by the travelling Napoli support.

Hojlund’s brace lifted the striker to eight Serie A goals this season and ended a frustrating run of seven league matches in 2026 without scoring. The Dane recorded three shots on target, the most for Napoli, and engaged in 17 duels, winning seven, reflecting constant involvement across the attack.

Underlying numbers also underlined Napoli’s edge. Hojlund alone contributed 1.53 of Napoli’s 2.37 expected goals. Genoa produced 1.32 expected goals from 12 attempts but could not turn pressure into a result. De Rossi’s players are likely to feel aggrieved, especially after matching Napoli for long spells in front of home supporters.

The result tightens the Serie A title picture, with Napoli closing the gap to Inter ahead of the leaders’ Sunday fixture. Despite defensive errors and Juan Jesus’ dismissal, Napoli displayed resilience and attacking quality when needed most, while Genoa left the pitch with credit but no reward on the scoreboard.