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Napoli vs Genoa. Italian Serie A.

San PaoloAttendance39,321.

Napoli 2

  • G Higuaín (7th minute, 75th minute pen)

Genoa 1

  • I Falque (56th minute)

Italian Serie A: Napoli back up to third after 2-1 home win over Genoa

Gonzalo Higuain of SSC Napoli celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Serie A match between SS Lazio and SSC Napoli
Image: Gonzalo Higuain: Scored two hotly-disputed goals

Two goals from Gonzalo Higuain allowed Napoli to regain third spot in Serie A, although their 2-1 win over Genoa was not without its share of controversy.

The Argentinian's opening goal could have been ruled out for offside while he earned the Azzurri all three points from the penalty spot after an infringement which was hard to spot.

Iago Falque had brought Genoa level while Napoli missed their easiest chances to ensure the controversies would not matter with Jonathan De Guzman guilty of the biggest misses.

Rafael Benitez's men nevertheless celebrated three important points which took them back above both Sampdoria and Lazio into third, where they are just six points behind second-placed Roma.

Napoli made a dream start when Jose Callejon's low shot was saved by Mattia Perin, but the ball looped up off the Genoa goalkeeper's right arm to Higuain, who tucked it in.

He checked the linesman's flag was down before reeling away in celebration, although he could have had no complaints had the flag in fact been raised.

Napoli surged forward for a second with David Lopez testing Perin with a shot from distance before Edenilson went close with Genoa's first chance, his shot probably going wide of the far post, but Rafael touched it behind to be sure.

Perin prevented Higuain from making it two after 20 minutes before the Argentinian teed up Marek Hamsik, who blazed a shot over.

De Guzman then wasted an even better chance from Hamsik's throughball, but he scooped his shot over the onrushing Perin and also over the crossbar.

The former Swansea midfielder saw an effort cleared off the line by Nicolas Burdisso early in the second half before Genoa levelled through Falque's low shot from the edge of the penalty area in the 56th minute.

Callejon rattled the crossbar as Napoli tried to regain the lead, which was gifted to them 15 minutes from time when the referee pointed to the spot, allegedly for a push in the back of Higuain from Juraj Kucka.

Higuain stepped up to score his and Napoli's second of the night, taking them up to third and back in the race for a place in the Champions League next season.

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