Genoa 0 - 0 Fiorentina: Genoa and Fiorentina share goalless draw

Genoa and Fiorentina shared the points from a frustrating goalless draw at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

With the hosts needing to build a cushion above the Serie A relegation zone and Fiorentina watching their title challenge starting to fade, a draw did little to satisfy either club.

La Viola might well have triumphed, but Marcos Alonso was thwarted in second-half stoppage time.

How the scoreboard remained unblemished was a mystery as both sides created - and wasted - countless opportunities to score.

Former West Ham striker Mauro Zarate almost set up Khouma Babacar for a third-minute strike, with Genoa responding with a near miss from Leonardo Pavoletti before Diego Laxalt headed wide.

Fiorentina came closer still with Nicolas Burdisso doing brilliantly to check runs from both Babacar and Zarate while Cristian Ansaldi raced back to clear Genoa's lines.

Ciprian Tatarusanu then preserved the stalemate heading into the break by making a fine save from Laxalt's tricky snap-shot.

Genoa should have notched on 51 minutes. Pavoletti was to blame, the in-form forward blasting straight into Tatarusanu when teed up perfectly by Diego Perotti.

The profligacy continued with Babacar foiled on the hour mark as he watched his goalbound shot cleared off Genoa's line.

Frustration took the fizz out of the game while boiling over to the touchline, with Fiorentina boss Paulo Sousa sent to the stands for protesting angrily.

His side could well have won it at the death, but Mattia Perin pulled off a breathtaking stop to deny substitute Alonso.