( dpa )- Genoa came from behind Saturday to beat Atalanta 2-1 opening a weekend that marks the half-season point in the Italian Serie A.
The win pushed Genoa into joint-sixth position next to 25-point Palermo, while Atalanta remained on 22 points, albeit with a game in hand.
The guests from Bergamo played a brisk first half, twice shaking Genoa's woodwork through efforts from Sergio Floccari and captain Cristiano Doni .
Brazilian goalkeeper Rubens Rubinho seemed to be helpless both on six minutes as Floccari's drooping shot bounced off the post and 20 minutes later on a swerving free kick from Doni .
Genoa gathered steam in the remainder of the first half threatening with a central drive from Brazilian Rodrigues Fabiano and on 42 minutes when Marco Borriello forced Ferdinando Coppola's great save.
Other chances went begging for the hosts as Giuseppe Sculli had a fierce shot and a close-range header blocked before Doni converting a spot kick put Atalanta one up on 67 minutes.
French defender Abdoulay Konko received a yellow card for flooring the spurting Floccari and Doni took the penalty fooling Rubinho with a low shot by the right post.
It took Genoa five minutes to equalize through a Borriello shot, but Atalanta came close again three minutes later when Rubinho parried a Floccari header and Doni missed the tap in by a hairsbreadth.
Genoa's reversal on 84 minutes brought the signature of Argentinian substitute Luciano Figueroa, who headed home a corner kick before Atalanta again hit the woodwork with Swede Zlatan Muslimovic , also a substitute.
A late game in Florence pits fifth-place Fiorentina against lowly Torino .