As Italian clubs intensify their preparations for the upcoming Serie A season, two notable pre-season friendly matches took place. Pisa experienced a challenging away fixture, suffering a 3-0 defeat at the hands of German powerhouse Bayer Leverkusen, while Genoa played to a 1-1 draw against the Japanese university national team.
Pisa`s Defeat in Leverkusen
Alberto Gilardino`s Pisa side took on a formidable opponent in Bayer Leverkusen, a team just days away from their first official match of the season. Unsurprisingly, the German club dominated, securing all three goals in the first half. Robert Andrich opened the scoring from a well-executed set piece, followed by Christian Kofane who capitalized on a swift counter-attack, and Exequiel Palacios extended their lead.
Despite Bayer Leverkusen`s Edmond Tapsoba receiving a red card in the 54th minute, the Serie A newcomers struggled to make an impact on the scoreline.
Genoa Held to a Draw
Meanwhile, Genoa concluded their friendly match against the Japanese university students` national team with a 1-1 stalemate. Ruslan Malinovskyi put the Grifone ahead by converting a penalty kick, and Lorenzo Colombo nearly doubled their lead but struck the woodwork. The Japanese side found their equalizer when Shinoda broke free from the offside trap to slot the ball home.