Stefano Sturaro scored on his comeback as Genoa battled to a 1-1 draw with fellow Serie A strugglers SPAL on Monday evening.
Sturaro joined captain Domenico Criscito back in the Genoa XI, seven months since his last start for the club.
The first half saw both goalkeepers steal the show as Etrit Berisha and Ionut Radu got huge hands on piledrivers from Lukas Lerager and Arkadiusz Reca.
SPAL broke the deadlock just 10 minutes into the restart, winning a penalty after Criscito clumsily upended Simone Missiroli from behind.
Andrea Petagna slipped the spot-kick through Radu’s fingers for his third goal of the season and his first since early October.
However, just two minutes later, Genoa caught SPAL napping as Paolo Ghiglione’s cross gifted Sturaro a free header on his return.
Thiago Motta threw on attackers Goran Pandev, Andrea Favilli and Denilho Cleonise for the final 20 minutes, sensing the momentum had swung in his team’s favour.
Favilli and Cleonise - the latter still just 17 - had chances to nick it for the Grifone, but their finishing wasn’t clinical enough.
With Sampdoria winning and Lecce drawing, it is a case of as you were for the two sides as they remain in the relegation zone.
Line-ups
SPAL: Berisha, Felipe, Sala, Vicari, Reca, Strefezza (Igor 68), Kurtic, Missiroli, Valdifiori (Murgia 80), Di Francesco (Valoti 49), Petagna
Genoa: Radu, Zapata, Criscito, Ghiglione, Cassata, Lerager (Pandev 62), Romero, Radovanovic, Sturaro (Cleonise 74), Agudelo, Pinamonti (Favilli 62)
Referee: Giacomelli