10-Man Napoli Wins 3-2 at Genoa on Late Penalty

GENOA, Italy -- Rasmus Højlund converted a controversial stoppage-time penalty to secure a 3-2 victory for 10-man Napoli over Genoa in Serie A on Saturday, allowing the defending champions to narrow the gap on the league leaders.

The match at Stadio Luigi Ferraris began with immediate drama. Just seconds into the game, Napoli defender Alessandro Buongiorno's errant back pass forced goalkeeper Alex Meret to rush out and foul Genoa forward Vitinha. A video assistant referee review confirmed the penalty, and Ruslan Malinovskyi slotted it home in the second minute to give the hosts the lead.

Napoli responded swiftly. In the 20th minute, Antonio Vergara's precise pass found Scott McTominay, whose powerful shot from distance was parried by Genoa goalkeeper Justin Bijlow into the path of Højlund, who tapped in the equalizer. Barely a minute later, McTominay unleashed a thunderous right-footed strike from over 20 meters, curling it into the top corner to put Napoli ahead 2-1 at halftime.

The Scottish midfielder, however, struggled with a recurring gluteal injury toward the end of the first half and was substituted at the break. Napoli coach Antonio Conte later explained the decision,...