For the first time in 15 Serie A encounters, a clash of Genoa and Inter Milan saw both sides score, with the hosts fighting back to snatch a 1-1 draw during first-half stoppage time after Marko Arnautović finally netted for Inter in the league after a 14-year wait.A solid draw with Juventus before Christmas provided the blueprint for Genoa’s early approach, as they stifled their visitors and refused to live up to one of their more infamous nicknames – the ‘Old Fool’. An eight-minute delay on the quarter-hour mark, due to an excess of flare smoke spilling onto the pitch, then threatened to kill Genoa’s early rhythm, but the restart instead saw a rare defensive mistake from Inter, which allowed Caleb Ekuban and Albert Guðmundsson to break through the lines. Only a series of panicked-headed clearances from Ekuban’s attempted cross to the Icelander prevented Genoa from taking a shock lead.Osimhen-less Napoli means winless NapoliWith Inter suitably awakened, Hakan Çalhanoğlu tested Josep Martínez via a searing volley from the edge of the box before Inter went ahead on 42 minutes in fortuitous fashion. A throw-in from Matteo Darmian fell to Nicolò Barella inside the box, and though his shot was tipped onto the post by Martínez, the ball fell to Arnautović from inches out, allowing him to tap in his maiden Serie A goal with Inter. However, there was to be a twist during nine minutes of added first-half time, as a Guðmundsson corner into the mixer found Radu Drăgușin, who headed in at the far post despite Yann Sommer getting more than half a glove on the ball.
Predictably, Inter started the second half on top, and Arnautović came inches away from doubling his money shortly after the restart, taking a shaving of paint off the left-hand post with a vicious half-volley via a knockdown on the break. Back came Genoa though, as an unmarked Guðmundsson sent a header via a corner kick straight at Sommer. He would soon lose strike partner Ekuban through injury though, and with Genoa boss Alberto Gilardino making three substitutes to his counterpart’s zero by the hour mark, there was always a fear that Inter’s superior depth might ultimately tell.
Perhaps sensing this, Martínez had to be on full alert at the three-quarter mark, as Çalhanoğlu found Francesco Acerbi with a free-kick. The latter’s header forced a point-blank save low at the far post, though a corner immediately at the other end proved nervy for Sommer, as the game began to open up. Eventually, the Inter subs made their awaited appearance, but the first of them – Alexis Sánchez for Arnautović – failed to make much of an impact. If anything, it was Genoa who ended proceedings with a greater sense of purpose, as Drăgușin sent a header just the wrong side of Sommer’s far post after meeting a long-range free-kick.##EDITORS_CHOICE##In the end, Genoa were well worth a draw, and duly ended the night seven points clear of danger, after breaching Inter in a home head-to-head encounters for the first time in five attempts. Meanwhile, despite still being the only team in the division yet to lose on their travels (seven wins, two draws), Inter could see their lead slashed to two points in the coming days.SERIE A – MATCHDAY 18FridayFiorentina – Torino 1-0 (0-0)/Ranieri 83/Napoli – Monza 0-0Lazio – Frosinone 3-1 (0-0)/Castellanos 71, Isaksen 72, Patric 84 – Soule 57 pen/Genoa – Inter 1-1 (1-1)/Dragusin 45+7 – Arnautovic 42/Saturday14:30: (1.43) Atalanta (4.40) Lecce (8.00)17:00: (2.15) Cagliari (3.50) Empoli (3.70)17:00: (3.45) Udinese (3.25) Bologna (2.35)20:00: (1.55) AC Milan (4.20) Sassuolo (5.90)20:00: (2.00) Verona (3.50) Salernitana (4.10)22:45: (2.10) Juventus (3.20) Roma (3.80)***odds are subject to change***