Rasmus Hojlund emerged as the hero as Napoli snatched a dramatic 3–2 victory over Genoa with a penalty deep into stoppage time on Saturday, keeping the defending champions alive in the Serie A title race. The decisive moment came at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium, where the Denmark forward calmly converted from the spot to seal a crucial away win.

Genoa made a blistering start to the contest, taking the lead as early as the third minute when Ukrainian midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi converted a penalty. The early setback appeared to unsettle Napoli, who have endured an injury-hit season and arrived in Genoa under pressure to keep pace with the league leaders.

The match swung sharply in Napoli’s favor midway through the first half as Hojlund struck his first goal of the night before fellow former Manchester United player Scott McTominay netted less than two minutes later. The quickfire double turned the game on its head and gave Antonio Conte’s side a 2–1 advantage going into the break.

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Napoli’s grip on the contest loosened in the second half as Genoa capitalized on defensive lapses. Lorenzo Colombo pounced on an error to bring the hosts level, and matters worsened for the visitors when center-back Juan Jesus was sent off after receiving a second yellow card, leaving Napoli to defend with ten men.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Napoli found a lifeline late on when Ivory Coast international Maxwel Cornet committed a foul in the penalty area. Hojlund stepped up under pressure and converted in added time, completing his brace and taking his tally to 12 goals in 30 appearances across all competitions this season.

The victory ensured Napoli remained third in the standings and reduced the gap to leaders Inter Milan to six points, pending Inter’s away match against Sassuolo. However, Conte’s concerns deepened as McTominay was forced off injured, adding to a growing list of absentees that already includes Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Frank Anguissa, and captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo.

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