The first round, and already a slip-up by the champions! It could have ended with an even worse outcome, and Inter players certainly cannot be satisfied with just a point, especially when they had three points in their hands almost until the last minute of the match. Instead of a victory, the defending champions have to settle for a draw at the Genoa fortress, which successfully withstood all the pressure – 2-2 (1-1).1 – Before #Inter in this game, the Scudetto holders have won on first matchday in 12 of the previous 13 Serie A seasons – only Juventus in 2015/16 have failed to do so in this period (0-1 defeat at home against Udinese). Obstacle.#GenoaInter— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) August 17, 2024 Genoa’s resilience earned them a well-deserved point, though they owe thanks to Jan Bisseck, who gifted them the opportunity to equalize in the final moments of the match. The young German center-back wasn’t composed enough and failed to stay focused as the ball entered his penalty area. He reacted clumsily, and instead of heading the ball, he handled it with his hand. The entire stadium erupted in protest, demanding referee Erman Feliciani to award a penalty, which he did after consulting the VAR room. He reviewed the footage and pointed to the spot. Junior Messias took responsibility at the most crucial moment of the match. The player who didn’t quite find his footing at Milan ended up being decisive against his former club’s biggest rival, though not directly from the penalty spot. Yan Sommer managed to save the initial penalty, but he couldn’t react to the rebound, which Messias converted into a goal, securing the 2-2 draw.The Italian champions struggled even before Feliciano blew the final whistle. It seemed like everything fell on Marcus Thuram’s shoulders, as Lautaro Martínez was almost invisible on the pitch. The Frenchman did everything he could, pulling Inter out of trouble after Alessandro Vogliacco’s goal within the first 20 minutes, and then providing the comeback with an assist from Davide Frattesi just before stoppage time. But then came the shock. Gilardino’s players deserved to take a point! Not only did they defy a stronger opponent, but at times they were more than an equal match in front of the packed stands of the Luigi Ferraris Stadium. Given their resources, the Grifoni fought hard and achieved what they likely aimed for from the very beginning.There will be a lot of speculation about what happened with Lautaro, who had only one clear chance to score throughout the entire match. The Argentine seemed as though he hadn’t fully rested or prepared for the new season after winning the Copa América. He even appeared sluggish at times, which is the last thing Simone Inzaghi wanted to see, especially when he was missing Mehdi Taremi and Marko Arnautović—players who could have come on and made a difference up front.SERIE A – MATCHDAY 1SaturdayGenoa- Inter 2-2 (1-1)/Vogliacco 20, Messias 90+5(p) – Thuram 30, 82/Parma – Fiorentina 1-1 (1-0)/Man 22 – Biraghi 75/21:45: (1.70) AC Milan (3.60) Torino (5.30)21:45: (2.50) Empoli (3.30) Monza (3.10)Sunday19:30: (2.00) Bologna (3.45) Udinese (4.30)19:30: (4.40) Verona (3.50) Napoli (1.85)21:45: (3.80) Cagliari (3.45) Roma (2.00)21:45: (1.50) Lazio (4.20) Venezia (6.75)Monday19:30: (3.90) Lecce (3.50) Atalanta (1.95)21:45: (1.37) Juventus (5.10) Como (10.0)***odds are subject to change***
