Torino held off a late Monza surge to win 3-2 at the Olimpico Grande Torino, turning a two-goal second-half advantage into three valuable points on Friday night in Serie A’s eighth round.
Nikola Vlasic’s 72nd-minute finish appeared to have put the contest beyond Monza after Kian Fitz-Jim and Rafik Belghali had scored for the Granata. Yet Nathan Patterson’s stoppage-time own goal gave the visitors a final opening, although Torino saw out the closing moments of a restless evening in Turin.
Fitz-Jim gives Torino a first-half foothold
Monza began with intent and Dany Mota headed wide from Samuele Birindelli’s early corner. Torino gradually established more presence, with Rolando Mandragora firing over from distance before seeing another attempt blocked.
Ardian Ismajli headed narrowly wide from Mandragora’s corner in the 12th minute, while Gustavo Varela had a long-range shot blocked at the other end. The Torino defender was booked after a foul on Varela in the 34th minute.
Mandragora required treatment after 25 minutes and later continued until the interval, but his night would end early in the second half. Before that, Torino found the breakthrough six minutes before half-time.
Giovanni Simeone had an effort blocked following work by Ché Adams, then supplied the decisive pass for Fitz-Jim. The midfielder struck left-footed from the middle of the area and found the top-right corner to send Torino into the break 1-0 ahead.
Monza respond before Torino take command
Monza emerged from the interval with greater urgency. Birindelli drove an effort just past the top-left corner in the opening minute of the second half, and Gustavo Varela levelled in the 47th minute. The forward collected the ball on the right side of the box and placed a low right-footed shot inside the far-left post.
Torino were forced into a change four minutes later when Mandragora was replaced by Gvidas Gineitis because of injury. The substitute soon had a direct influence on the match.
After Belghali had tested the goalkeeper from inside the right of the area and Pietro Comuzzo had another effort saved, Torino restored their lead on 61 minutes. Gineitis supplied Belghali, whose right-footed shot from outside the box travelled into the right side of the goal.
Monza responded with a double substitution in the 63rd minute, introducing Michael Folorunsho for Manga Foe Ondoa and Eddy Kouadio for Lorenzo Lucchesi. Ricardo Mangas then headed a Dany Mota cross on target, but Torino’s goalkeeper made the save.
Torino continued to create openings. Adams twice went close from outside the area, while Simeone missed the target after Vlasic led a counterattack. The home side then made three changes in the 71st minute, bringing on Patterson, Daniel Bragança and Sandro Kulenovic for Alessio Cacciamani, Fitz-Jim and Simeone.
A minute later, Vlasic gave Torino what looked like a decisive third goal. The Croatian met the ball in the centre of the penalty area and finished with his right foot to make it 3-1.
A stoppage-time twist
Monza made further attacking changes, with Patrick Cutrone and Cyril Ngonge introduced for Jay Robinson and Dany Mota in the 79th minute. Both of Cutrone’s potential routes through on goal were stopped by offside decisions after passes from Ngonge and Folorunsho, while Folorunsho also sent a shot narrowly wide.
Torino replaced Belghali with Zakaria Aboukhlal in the 84th minute, and Monza sent on Mathis Mout for Andrea Carboni a minute later. Adams and Aboukhlal both had late attempts that missed or were stopped as Torino searched for a fourth.
Instead, Monza found a route back in the fourth minute of added time. Aboukhlal’s low shot was saved after a Vlasic pass, and the resulting pressure ended with Patterson turning the ball into his own net.
There was no equaliser, however. Torino finished with a 3-2 victory after a match in which their response to Monza’s early second-half equaliser proved the difference.
Key match events
- 39th minute: Kian Fitz-Jim scores for Torino, assisted by Giovanni Simeone.
- 47th minute: Gustavo Varela equalises for Monza.
- 51st minute: Gvidas Gineitis replaces the injured Rolando Mandragora.
- 61st minute: Rafik Belghali restores Torino’s lead after a Gineitis assist.
- 72nd minute: Nikola Vlasic makes it 3-1 for Torino.
- 90th minute: Nathan Patterson’s own goal brings Monza back to 3-2.
