Ghanaian striker Caleb Ekuban was on target as Genoa staged a thrilling second-half comeback to defeat Bologna 3-2 in an entertaining Serie A clash at the Luigi Ferraris on Sunday.
The visitors started the contest brightly and took a deserved lead in the 35th minute when Argentine winger Benjamin Dominguez teed up Lewis Ferguson, who opened the scoring to put Bologna ahead.
The goal proved decisive heading into the halftime interval as Bologna held on to their slim lead.
Genoa’s problems deepened shortly after the restart when sustained pressure from Bologna resulted in an own goal.
Defender Sebastian Otoa inadvertently turned Jens Odgaard’s effort into his own net in the 47th minute, handing the visitors a two-goal cushion.
However, the momentum of the game shifted dramatically when Bologna goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski was sent off early in the second half.
Genoa capitalised almost immediately, as Ruslan Malinovskyi curled a stunning free kick into the net in the 62nd minute to reduce the deficit.
Introduced in the second half, Caleb Ekuban made an instant impact.
The former Ghana international showed sharp instincts inside the box to fire home the equaliser in the 78th minute, bringing Genoa level.
With the match seemingly destined for a draw, Junior Messias produced a moment of brilliance in stoppage time, scooping the ball into the net to complete a remarkable turnaround.
The victory lifts Genoa to 13th place on the Serie A table with 23 points from 22 matches, while Bologna remain 8th on 30 points.
Ekuban has now scored two goals in 17 league appearances for Genoa this season.
