Genoa 3-1 Empoli Player Ratings: Valentín Carboni 9/10 Rated as Grifone Mount Comeback in 3-1 Coppa Italia Win

Genoa showed incredible character to come from behind and secure a convincing 3-1 victory over Empoli. It was a classic cup tie, full of drama and intensity from the first whistle to the last. Empoli stunned the home crowd by taking an early lead through Edoardo Saporiti. For a moment, it looked like an upset was on the cards. However, Genoa's response was swift and decisive. Morten Frendrup leveled the score just minutes later, completely shifting the momentum of this Coppa Italia clash.

The second half was all Genoa. They came out with a renewed sense of purpose, and it wasn't long before Alessandro Marcandalli headed them into the lead. The manager's substitutions were spot on, with Jeff Ekhator coming off the bench to seal the win. Empoli simply had no answer to Genoa's relentless pressure and midfield dominance, led by a spectacular Valentín Carboni. Here are the Genoa vs Empoli player ratings.

Genoa Player Ratings vs Empoli

Here are the Genoa player ratings vs Empoli.

Goalkeeper

Nicola Leali - 6.5: Beaten early on for the goal but couldn't do much about it. He made a couple of important saves inside the box to keep things steady. What stood out was his composure after conceding, and he didn't put a foot wrong for the rest of the game. A quiet but solid performance overall.

Defenders

Aarón Martín - 6.5: A mixed bag from the fullback. He was solid in possession with an 87% pass accuracy and made four crucial interceptions. However, we noticed he struggled in his one-on-one duels, winning only a quarter of them. He pushed forward when he could but lacked that final decisive action.

Stefano Sabelli - 7.0: A very reliable performance from Sabelli. He was tidy on the ball, rarely giving it away and contributing to the attack by creating a chance. Defensively, he won five of his six duels, showing great strength and awareness. He provided a good balance on the right flank.

Johan Vásquez - 7.5: Wore the captain's armband and led by example. He was an absolute rock at the back, winning an incredible 80% of his duels. His aerial dominance was particularly impressive. From our perspective, he was a calming presence for the backline, especially after the early goal.

Alessandro Marcandalli - 8.5: What a game for the defender. He scored the crucial go-ahead goal with a well-taken header, which was a massive moment. Beyond his goal, he was a defensive titan, making eight clearances and winning seven duels. He was simply in the right place at the right time all night.

Midfielders

Nicolae Stanciu - 8.0: The maestro in midfield until he was subbed. He dictated the tempo with his crisp passing and vision, creating a chance and delivering two accurate crosses. He was the link between defense and attack, always looking to play a forward pass. A classy display.

Junior Messias - 6.0: A surprisingly quiet first half for Messias. He was neat in possession but failed to make a significant impact on the game. We expected more from him in the final third. He was substituted at halftime, which tells its own story.

Albert Grønbæk - 6.5: A frustrating night for Grønbæk. He showed flashes of his quality, creating three chances for his teammates. However, he was also quite wasteful in possession and missed the target with both of his shots. You could see the effort was there, but the execution was just a bit off.

Valentín Carboni - 9.0: Our Man of the Match. An absolutely scintillating, all-action performance. He was a menace to the Empoli defense with five shots and was a machine off the ball, making an astounding ten recoveries and winning three tackles. He drove the team forward with every touch. What stood out was his relentless desire to influence the game.

Morten Frendrup - 8.0: Scored the vital equalizer with a composed finish that changed the complexion of the game. Beyond the goal, he was industrious and efficient in midfield before being substituted. He broke up play effectively and used the ball intelligently. A very strong contribution.

Forwards

Lorenzo Colombo - 7.0: A difficult rating to give. He provided the assist for the equalizer and created four chances, which is excellent. However, he struggled physically, winning only two of his twelve duels. He was a creative spark but often got bullied off the ball. A mixed but ultimately positive performance.

Substitutes

Jeff Ekhator - 7.5: The perfect impact substitute. He came on and immediately added a new dimension to the attack, sealing the victory with a well-taken goal. His energy and clinical finish were exactly what Genoa needed to kill the game off.

Morten Thorsby - 7.0: Made a significant impact after coming on, providing the headed assist for Ekhator's goal. He added steel and experience to the midfield.

Lorenzo Venturino - 7.0: Assisted Marcandalli's goal with a clever header from the corner. Another substitute who made a decisive contribution.

Patrizio Masini - N/A: Came on late to help see out the game.

Seydou Fini - N/A: Not on long enough to make a real impact.

Manager

P. Vieira - 8.0: Reacted brilliantly to going a goal down. His halftime talk clearly worked wonders, and his substitutions were flawless, with two of them directly contributing to goals. He masterminded an excellent comeback victory.

Empoli Player Ratings vs Genoa

Here are the Empoli player ratings vs Genoa.

Goalkeeper

Samuele Perisan - 5.0: A difficult evening for the keeper. While he made three saves, he also conceded three goals and looked a bit uncertain with the ball at his feet. He couldn't command his area effectively on the set-piece goals. Not a performance he'll want to remember.

Defenders

Nosa Edward Obaretin - 5.0: Struggled to contain Genoa's fluid attack. He was often bypassed too easily and looked off the pace. He made a couple of interceptions but overall had a tough time dealing with the home side's forwards.

Tyronne Ebuehi - 5.5: Had a busy night before being substituted. He was defensively stretched and committed a few clumsy fouls. He wasn't able to offer much going forward either. It was a challenging matchup for him.

Gabriele Guarino - 4.0: A disastrous performance. The statistics show an error that led directly to a goal, which is unforgivable at this level. He also committed five fouls and seemed to be in a constant state of panic. From our perspective, he was the clear weak link in the defense.

Midfielders

Luca Belardinelli - 6.0: The captain fought bravely in a losing battle. He won a decent number of his duels and tried to drive his team forward. However, he was often overwhelmed by Genoa's midfield superiority and lost possession far too many times.

Gerard Yepes - 6.0: Tried to get on the ball and make things happen, showing some neat touches. Ultimately, he couldn't stamp his authority on the game and was substituted. A decent effort but lacked the influence needed.

Brando Moruzzi - 5.5: He worked hard but was largely anonymous. He struggled to get involved in the game meaningfully and offered very little in an attacking sense. His passing was poor, and he was a non-factor for most of the match.

Franco Carboni - 5.0: Completely ineffective and was rightly hooked early in the second half. He was a passenger in the game, struggling to keep possession or make any defensive impact. A really poor showing.

Forwards

Rareș Ilie - 5.5: Lots of running but very little end product. He got into some decent positions but his decision-making and execution were lacking. He lost the ball too often and failed to pose a real threat to the Genoa goal.

Edoardo Saporiti - 7.5: The one shining light for Empoli. He scored an excellent goal to give his team the lead and was their most dangerous player throughout. He was constantly trying to create something, even when the game was slipping away. He can hold his head high.

Bogdan Popov - 5.5: Another forward who failed to make his mark. He was isolated for large parts of the game and couldn't get involved. He lost most of his physical battles and was substituted without making any real contribution.

Substitutes

Stiven Shpendi - 5.5: Brought on to change the attack but had little service and couldn't impact the game.

Edoardo Zanaga - 5.5: Failed to provide any spark after coming on.

Lorenzo Ignacchiti - 6.0: Added some fresh legs but the game was already gone.

Gabriele Indragoli - 5.5: Struggled to get up to the speed of the match.

Thomas Campaniello - N/A: Came on too late to be rated.

Manager

G. Pagliuca - 5.0: His team started with a perfect game plan, but he had no answer once Genoa equalized. His side looked disjointed and was completely outplayed in the second half. His substitutions failed to change the tide of the match.

Sportsdunia's Player of the Match is Valentín Carboni