Alessandro Vogliacco snatched a point for Genoa in stoppages after Lucas Da Cunha had put Como in front at Marassi.
The Grifone were fresh from a much-needed 1-0 victory over Parma on Monday evening, where Mario Balotelli received his debut as a substitute. Vitinha, Junior Messias, Ruslan Malinovskyi, Pierluigi Gollini, David Ankeye and Brooke Norton-Cuffy were all on the treatment table, while Como missed Sergi Roberto, Maxi Perrone, Luca Mazzitelli, Ignace van der Brempt, Alessandro Gabrielloni, Daniele Baselli and Luca Mazzitelli. Cesc Fabregas was feeling the pressure after losing four of their last five Serie A games.
This game was played on the unusual Thursday evening slot because there is a car rally in the city of Genoa on Friday.
Nico Paz was an inspirational figure for Como, as first he fired over the bar, then he forced a save out of Nicola Leali at the near post, before moments later robbing Andrea Pinamonti to send Lucas Da Cunha through for the right-foot finish from the edge of the area.
Como threatened a second goal with Nico Paz this time sending Alieu Fadera into the box to test Leali, but Genoa immediately went on the counter from the same move and Pepe Reina was decisive one-on-one with Jeff Ekhator.
Gabriel Strefezza skimmed the upright after combining with Patrick Cutrone and Pinamonti’s header was deflected just wide by Marc Kempf.
Nico Paz continued to light the way for Como with a left-foot pass sending Fadera through against Leali, then had allowed Cutrone to score on 68 minutes, but this time VAR ruled the striker was offside.
Balotelli came on for the final 20 minutes, though Como still had the best chances with Da Cunha getting the finish all wrong after shaking off Milan Badelj and Cutrone going for goal rather than picking the wiser pass for Fadera.
For the second time in as many appearances for Genoa, Balotelli was booked, this time for pushing Kempf away after he was fouled.
Strefezza slalomed through a pack of defenders only to be denied by a fantastic Leali save at the near post.
Deep into stoppages, Genoa managed to snatch an equaliser on Fabio Miretti’s corner, which was flicked on by Pinamonti for Alessandro Vogliacco to score from point-blank range.
Genoa 1-1 Como
Da Cunha 17 (C), Vogliacco 92 (G)
