Sampdoria wins derby match against Genoa 1-0
GENOA, Italy (AP) — Maxi Lopez scored on his Sampdoria return to give the team a 1-0 victory at bitter rival Genoa in the derby della lanterna on Monday.
Lopez is in his second loan spell at Sampdoria and he took less than 24 minutes to mark his debut with a goal. The Argentine played a one-two with Eder before lifting the ball over Genoa goalkeeper Mattia Perin.
"It's a new fantastic debut," Lopez said. "I couldn't ask for more. This is a reward for the hard work of the squad and a present for the fans who were at the stadium tonight.
"I'm happy with the goal, I've returned home. I have to thank the club for the faith they've shown in me, I needed consistency and to be back at the top level."
Genoa twice had the ball in the back of the net but Luca Antonelli's effort four minutes from halftime and Moussa Konate's 65th-minute strike were both ruled out for offside.
The match was originally scheduled to take place Sunday night but was postponed for security reasons, with the region's biggest market taking place at the same time near the stadium.
Sampdoria moved into 13th place in the table, two points behind Genoa.
