Maxi Lopez was the hero for Sinisa Mihajlovic's side, as he scored on the occasion of his second debut for the club to seal all three points at Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris.
Sampdoria signed striker Lopez on loan until the end of the season with a view to a permanent transfer from Catania last week, and the Argentinian took just 24 minutes to break the deadlock in the Derby della Lanterna.
The former Barcelona man, who scored four Serie A goals in 17 appearances for Sampdoria in 2012-13, played a neat one-two with Eder before firing low past Mattia Perin.
And that goal proved to be enough for Mihajlovic's men, as they controlled the majority of the match in relative comfort.
The win - which avenges Genoa's 3-0 win in the reverse fixture back in September - lifts Sampdoria to 13th in Serie A, while Gian Piero Gasperini's team remain 11th.
