The genoa vs udinese fixture, kicked off at 8: 45 pm ET as part of the 30th round of the 2025/2026 Serie A season, turned on a single incident in the 49th minute of the second half when a penalty was first awarded and then overturned after an on-field review, leaving the home bench and crowd in uproar.
What happened in Genoa Vs Udinese?
A long, central pass found Colombo, who controlled on the run and drove into the penalty area. Kabasele, having lost his mark, intercepted his path with his left arm. Referee Collu immediately pointed to the spot, judging the contact a handball that prevented a clear chance; without the deflection Colombo would have been one-on-one with Okoye. After a lengthy VAR check and an On-Field Review, Collu reversed the decision: “Following a review, player number 27’s arm is in a natural position. Final decision: the penalty is rescinded. ” The reversal provoked strong reactions from the Genoa bench and the stadium, and Collu then produced a red card for one of Daniele De Rossi’s teammates.
Why was the penalty overturned?
Video analyst Luca Marelli, speaking before Collu reversed his on-pitch decision, framed the key technical question: whether the contact involved an increase in the player’s body volume or an instinctive movement with the arm remaining in a natural position. Marelli said: “It’s not an easy call; let’s see what they decide in the VAR room. We need to see if there’s an increase in body volume. There is a slight movement towards the ball, but we need to consider whether there is actually an increase in volume or whether an arm is actually making contact but in a natural position. ” After the review, Marelli added an explanation of the VAR room’s conclusion: “What the VAR room had concluded – and which Collu subsequently confirmed as correct – was that, although there was a movement, probably instinctive, towards the ball, there was no increase in the player’s body volume. The front-facing camera did not show the arm at the moment of contact. ” These observations formed the basis for the referee’s reversal on the pitch.
What followed on the pitch and in the stands?
The immediate human fallout was visible: the Genoa bench and the stadium reacted strongly when the penalty was rescinded, and the match referee issued a red card to one of Daniele De Rossi’s teammates after the decision. The match ultimately finished 0: 2, leaving the rejected penalty and the subsequent sending off as defining moments of the evening. The sequence — a spot-kick awarded, an on-field review, a reversal and then a dismissal — condensed the turning points of the contest into a few intense minutes that dominated the post-match conversation.
In a match from the 30th round that started at 8: 45 pm ET, those minutes changed how the result and the narrative of the night will be remembered, underscoring how a single VAR intervention can reshape both the scoreboard and the mood in the stadium.
