Colombo strikes as Genoa edge past Leicester in friendly
Genoa claimed a 1-0 victory over Leicester City in a Club Friendly on 1 August 2026. The result gives the Italian side a narrow win while Leicester's pre-season preparations continue without a point. One goal decided the matter, and it came in the second half.
By then the match had settled into a rhythm neither side could quite break. Leicester controlled more territory — 103 attacks to 73 — but Genoa held their shape and waited. To be fair, the visitors didn't need much. They created three shots on target and one went in.
The decisive moment arrived in the 69th minute when L. Colombo found the net. Before that, the match had been punctuated by two yellow cards in the 33rd and 36th minutes, followed by a substitution for Leicester's B. Nelson just before half-time. And here's the thing about friendlies — the intensity rarely matches the stakes.
Leicester dominated possession equally and had seven shots on target compared to Genoa's three. They earned ten corners to three, yet couldn't convert their superiority. Many shots with one goal means chances went begging, or in this case, came up short.
For Leicester, this follows a run of mixed results — a 3-3 draw with Málaga, a 1-0 win over Cádiz, and victories against Burton Albion and Bristol Rovers. Genoa's recent form includes a 2-2 draw with Vicenza Virtus and losses to Lecche and Milan. The scoreline doesn't tell the full story, but neither does it need to.
The result leaves Genoa with a clean sheet and Leicester searching for answers before the league campaign begins. In cup football, or friendlies, the margins are always tighter than the numbers suggest.