New coach leads Genoa to first win of the season in Serie A

SASSUOLO, Italy (AP) – Genoa won its first game of the season by beating Sassuolo 2-1 with a last-gasp goal that lifted it off the bottom of Serie A on Monday.

It was particularly rewarding for interim coach Roberto Murgita, who replaced Patrick Vieira after the former Arsenal and France midfielder was fired last week.

Genoa rose to 18th in the 20-team table, one point ahead of Verona and two clear of last-placed Fiorentina.

Although it hasn’t won since May, visiting Genoa got off to a promising start from a corner kick. Goalkeeper Arijanet Murić’s clearance went as far as only Ruslan Malinovskyi, who fired a superb strike into the top corner from 25 meters out.

Domenico Berardi equalized for Sassuolo two minutes after halftime but Leo Østigård’s glancing header in stoppage time sparked jubilant scenes in the Genoa dugout.

Sassuolo was in 11th place.

Lazio beat Cagliari 2-0 to extend the Rome club’s unbeaten run to six matches.

Danish forward Gustav Isaksen broke the deadlock after 65 minutes when he drifted in from the right and produced some nice footwork before curling the ball into the far corner.

Mattia Zaccagni scored a second in stoppage time when he seized on a woeful backpass and fired into the top corner.

Lazio looked the more dangerous side throughout. It comes as Maurizio Sarri’s men face a daunting November that continues next Sunday with an away game at Inter Milan and ends with another away fixture against AC Milan.

Cagliari was 15th and without a league win since Sept.19.