Genoa registered only their second victory in their last eight outings with a vital 1-0 win over Empoli at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris on Sunday afternoon.
It was a cagey affair throughout but Grifone midfielder Luca Rigoni netted the solitary goal of the contest in the 48th minute after being threaded in by substitute Alessio Cerci.
Opportunities were scarce during the opening exchanges, though Goran Pandev was proving a handful in attack for the Rossoblu.
The first chance of the contest fell to Rigoni in the 20th minute, after Sebastian De Maio’s glancing header dropped invitingly to the midfielder inside the six-yard box but Lukasz Skorupski sprawled to deny him from close-range.
Genoa had seized possessional superiority throughout the opening half but their inability to slice through the visiting backline was a source of frustration for the home faithful.
Set pieces, however, were proving troublesome for the Azzurri and Panagiotis Tachtsidis almost profited from an insipid punch from Skorupski on 37 minutes after Suso’s wicked free-kick delivery.
Pandev slalomed his way through a pack of Empoli defenders a minute before the interval but his finish was weak.
Gian Piero Gasperini sent for Cerci at half-time as Genoa searched for answers to the questions posed by the visitors.
His impact was instant as the Italian scurried down the right and threaded a delightful pass into Rigoni who finished with aplomb.
Uros Cosic intervened to good effect when Pandev knocked Cerci’s cross into Diego Laxalt’s path in the 64th minute before Empoli fashioned their first real chance of the game seconds later.
Levan Mchedlidze was ushered in by Piotr Zielinski but his curling effort cannoned back off the post. The Polish midfielder reacted first to the loose ball but his line-drive from the edge of the danger area was repelled by the outstretched leg of Christian Ansaldi on the goalline.
Riccardo Saponara could have levelled proceedings in the dying embers but the substitute shanked his effort wide.
The result moves Genoa five points clear of fellow relegation strugglers Frosinone in 18th place while Empoli remain in mid table and without a victory since January 10.
