With the Rossoneri’s famous home absent of spectators following a decree that all sporting events in Italy take place behind closed doors until April 3 as the country battles the coronavirus outbreak, Milan turned in a drab performance.

At the end of a week that saw Milan sack chief football officer Zvonimir Boban but express support for Pioli, they were second best throughout against a Genoa side battling relegation.

Milan fell behind in the seventh minute as Pandev was provided with the simplest of tap-ins to break the deadlock after Antonio Sanabria had dispossessed Theo Hernandez and sent a low right-wing delivery across the face of goal.

Sanabria was involved again as he spread the play out to right winger Davide Biraschi, whose cross was instinctively flicked on by Lasse Schone for Cassata to slide the ball home at the far post.

Former Barcelona youth player Sanabria, on loan from Real Betis, set in motion a superb win for Genoa when he robbed Hernandez of the ball and looked the visitors’ most likely threat to score a third in the second half.

He should have beaten Perin with Milan’s best chance of the game and, though he did eventually give his side hope, a wayward overhead kick in the second half encapsulated his difficult day.