Leonardo Pavoletti scored the winning goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time as Genoa claimed a 2-1 victory over Sassuolo in a match that saw both teams finish the afternoon with 10 men.

Domenico Berardi had the first chance of the game when he was picked out from a short corner and fired in a low drive that was comfortably claimed by the keeper.

Pavoletti and Darko Lazovic then saw attempts blocked, before Berardi curled a shot straight at the keeper from close range.

With four minutes remaining in the first half both teams were reduced to 10 man, as Berardi saw red for kicking out following a challenge, with Diego Perotti dismissed in the resulting skirmish between the two sets of players.

The teams went into the break on level terms, but within six minutes of the restart Tomas Rincon collected the ball on the edge of the box and shifted it onto his left foot, before bending a strike into the far corner to give Genoa the lead.

Sassuolo looked for a way back into the match, and in the third minute of stoppage time they drew level when Francesco Acerbi turned the ball in from close range after Sime Vrsaljko's header had been saved.

However, there was more late drama as Pavoletti powered in a header from Issa Cissokho's cross to restore Genoa's lead, leaving Sassuolo with no time to mount another comeback.