Parma 2-3 Genoa
Palacio 33, 52 (G), Zaccardo 60 (P), Bocchetti og 62 (P), Fatic 72 (G)
Stadio Tardini
Genoa threw away a 2-0 lead, but Ivan Fatic still managed to snatch a shock away victory.
This was effectively a play-off between two teams with an outside chance of Europa League qualification. Only one point separated them going into the Tardini and Parma were fresh from a shock 3-2 win away to Napoli. Genoa had lost the derby and were without a victory in five.
Jonathan Biabiany and Francesco Valiani sat out bans for the home side, while Alberto Paloschi and Damiano Zenoni remained on the treatment table. David Suazo, Ivan Juric, Bosko Jankovic, Houssine Kharja and the suspended Domenico Criscito didn’t make the trip, while Marco Amelia was again benched, Emiliano Moretti and Giuseppe Sculli failed fitness tests.
It was a very special game for Hernan Crespo, who was facing his former club, and he had the first shot smothered.
Alessio Scarpi got down well to palm Daniele Gastaldello’s header off the line, as Crespo had knocked on a throw-in.
It was Genoa who took the lead against the run of play. Zaccardo was clumsily dispossessed in the final third and Rodrigo Palacio did well to sweep a precise curler into the far post from outside the box.
Davide Lanzafame drilled wide, but Parma needed more of a threat and introduced Valeri Bojinov for the second half in a 4-4-2.
However, Genoa doubled their advantage. Raffaele Palladino went on a slalom and his angled drive was parried into the path of Palacio for his second of the game.
Moments later Parma nearly got back into it from a corner, but the Massimo Paci header turned into an assist for Crespo and Scarpi smothered from point-blank range.
Bojinov nodded over, but the Gialloblu got back into the game on the hour mark. Zaccardo rose at the back post to nod in Lanzafame’s cross from the left.
Parma completed their comeback soon after! Lanzafame was down injured, but his teammates kept playing and Scarpi parried the Bojinov angled drive, but the ball ricocheted on to the shin of Salvatore Bocchetti, who clumsily prodded into his own net.
It was wide open at the Tardini, as Mirante performed a desperate reaction save to deny Sculli from point-blank range.
It was Genoa who turned it around again! Ivan Fatic had just stepped on to the field when he gathered down the left flank and seemed to be squaring up for a cross, but smashed the powerful angled drive under the bar from a tight angle!
Parma: Mirante; Zaccardo, Paci, Dellafiore, Lucarelli; Lanzafame (Dzemaili 85), Jimenez, Galloppa, Lunardini (Bojinov 46), Antonelli (Pasi 80); Crespo
Genoa: Scarpi; Papastathopoulos, Dainelli, Bocchetti; Mesto, Zapater, Milanetto, Tomovic; Palacio (Lazarevic 86), Acquafresca, Palladino (Sculli 56)
Ref: Banti