Torino return from the international break with a familiar expectation resting on Giovanni Simeone: not simply to lead the line with the intensity that has already made him a reference point at the club, but to find the goals that can shape their early season. Udinese visit the Olimpico Grande Torino on Monday 12 October, with kick-off at 20:45, and the sixth Serie A round offers Simeone a chance to reopen a scoring account that has remained quiet through the first five matches.
The Argentine has nevertheless been deeply involved in Torino’s start. Since 23 August he has featured heavily, with Fiorentina away the only league game in which he did not start. His contribution in Florence was important despite coming from the bench: Torino began their recovery through Rolando Mandragora’s long-range effort before Che Adams completed it, while Simeone’s arrival for the final 20 minutes helped alter the tone of the match.
That afternoon also showed a possibility that Ignazio Abate has used when his side have needed to chase a result. The coach sacrificed a defender for another forward, placing Adams alongside Simeone, with Nikola Vlasic operating behind them. Mandragora was supported in midfield by Kian Fitz-Jim and Bragança. A comparable attacking adjustment appeared at Bologna, where Kulenovic was introduced to play near Simeone and scored the goal that rescued the contest.
Those moments have underlined Simeone’s value beyond the penalty area. At the Dall’Ara he provided an outlet for direct passes, held possession to bring colleagues forward, won fouls and pressed Bologna’s build-up. It is the hard-running, confrontational side of his game that Torino technical area director Gianluca Petrachi held up last season as an example of the attitude required across the squad. Simeone had already embraced the project under Petrachi and Abate, and has become one of the principal figures in a group he joined only last year.
A record of opening matches
Still, Simeone knows the central requirement of his role. Last season he reached double figures in Serie A for the fifth time, scoring 11 goals, and every one of them was Torino’s first goal in the match. From his opening strike in the win at Roma’s Olimpico to his effort against Sassuolo with three rounds remaining, he did not score twice in any game, but repeatedly supplied the breakthrough.
Two of those goals settled victories over Roma in the first half of the campaign and Napoli. Five more formed part of wins against Verona twice, then Lazio, Parma and Sassuolo in the return fixtures. His strikes also helped Torino take points against Lazio, Pisa and Inter, while the only occasion on which his goal failed to secure either a draw or a win came away to Milan. In total, the goals were directly connected to 24 points, which explains why there is patience but also clear anticipation around his next one.
The break has allowed Simeone to work specifically on his physical condition after a demanding opening stretch. Torino resumed preparation after two days off under Abate and his staff, with returning internationals expected to filter back into the squad as the week develops. Defender Saul Coco is already back after playing twice for Equatorial Guinea in qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
There is, however, a concern over wide player Niccolò Fortini. He returned from Italy Under-21 duty, under coach Silvio Baldini, with an adductor problem suffered during the second half of the young Azzurri’s match against Armenia. Torino’s medical staff are assessing the injury as they prepare for Udinese. For Simeone, the task is simpler in outline: retain the work that serves the team, then restore the finishing that made him such a decisive presence across last season.
