GENOA, Italy (Interstat) — Genoa opened its Serie A season with a 2-1 victory over Sassuolo on Sunday at Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris.

Ruslan Malinovskyi put the hosts ahead in the 18th minute before Sassuolo’s Ismaël Koné leveled the match in the 57th. The game turned before halftime when Sassuolo’s Domenico Berardi and Mikael Ellertsson were sent off in stoppage time, forcing the visitors to play the entire second half with nine men. Genoa capitalized with Caleb Ekuban scoring the decisive goal in the 84th minute.

The result defied a pregame projection for a draw. Sassuolo begins its campaign with a loss.