Mario Balotelli made his Genoa debut in a cameo appearance at the end of his new side’s 1-0 victory away against Parma in Serie A on Monday evening, as Alberto Gilardino’s side picked up just their second league win of the 2024-25 campaign.
Andrea Pinamonti grabbed the only goal of the game after 80 minutes. He was on hand to turn in the rebound after Zion Suzki parried Jeff Ekhator’s powerful drive back into the danger zone.
Genoa had been the vastly superior team in the attacking third, registering seven shots on target to Parma’s zero.
There was also a debut in Genoa colours for Balotelli. The former Italy international joined the Grifone as a free agent exactly one week ago, but was not involved for the 1-0 loss against Fiorentina on Thursday. He came on in the 85th minute as a replacement for Ekhator.
The victory for Genoa has lifted them out of the Serie A relegation zone and up to 17th place, where they sit above Monza, Venezia and Lecce on nine points from 11 games.
Parma remain in 15th place, on the same number of points as Genoa, albeit with -3 on goal difference compared to Genoa’s -13.
Full-time: Parma 0-1 Genoa
Pinamonti 80′.
Player statistic
| 27' |  |
Nicola Leali | ||
| Mandela Keita | |
36' | ||
| Mohamed Anas Haj | |
41' |
| 54' | |
Alessandro Zanoli | ||
| 60' | |
Jeff Ekhator | ||
| 80' |  |
Andrea Pinamonti | ||
| 82' | |
Johan Vásquez | ||
| 90+2' | |
Mario Balotelli |
Match statistic
Fully deserved victory for Genoa.
Parma were very poor. I don’t think they even managed one shot on target.
Pinamonti scores, but the headline is about the degenerate who’s been bouncing around second string teams for the past several years.
Adro.
More Ekhator than Pinamonti. He had a beautiful goal chalked off for a v.marginal offside and then laid it on a plate for Pinamonti. But yes, the yellow card troll gets the headlines.