Turin vs Monza – News and Probable Lineups

Following impressive victories earlier this week, Torino and Monza will face off in Serie A’s Friday night fixture.

Both teams netted seven goals and kept their opponents scoreless on Monday, which has pulled them away from the relegation zone.

Match overview

After a rocky start to Ignazio Abate’s tenure as head coach, Torino has begun to find its form, accumulating 10 points from their last five matches.

Returning from the international break with a home victory against Udinese, the Granata stepped up their performance on Monday, scoring three goals against Parma without conceding any.

Giovanni Simeone found the net for the first time this season in Serie A, adding a third goal at Stadio Tardini after Che Adams had already doubled Torino’s lead.

Compared to the previous year, scoring has been more frequent – with Simeone, Adams, and Sandro Kulenovic all hitting the target at least twice – while Abate’s squad has conceded five fewer goals at the back.

Remarkably, the last instance when Torino achieved three consecutive league wins in a single season was back in 2019, so they will be aiming for that elusive treble this Friday night.

History is on the side of the hosts, as Monza has failed to defeat Torino in six top-flight encounters – although they triumphed in the cup match between the two teams last month.

Like Abate, former Torino coach Ivan Juric experienced a shaky beginning at his new club, but results are gradually showing signs of improvement.

Along with reaching the Coppa Italia’s last 16, newly promoted Monza has secured two victories in their last three league matches, both coming at home.

Sandwiched between a defeat to high-flying Lazio, the Brianzoli managed wins against Sassuolo and Cagliari, with the latter being in great form prior to that match.

With breakout star Gustavo Varela scoring twice, Monza netted three times in the second half of their 4-0 triumph, taking them up to 14th place in Serie A.

However, tracing back to their unfortunate 2024-25 season, they have amassed only 11 points from their last 23 away matches in the top tier of Italian football.

Team News

Torino will be without key defender Ricardo Rodriguez this Friday evening, in addition to Emirhan Ilkhan (adductor) and Niccolo Fortini (thigh).

Having returned for his second term in Turin, the Swiss veteran is dealing with a tendon injury in his left thigh and might be sidelined for the next two weeks.

While Adams is Torino’s leading scorer with three league goals, Simeone is expected to be buoyed by finding the net after a prolonged dry spell earlier this week.

The experienced forward has now become one of three players to score in each of the last 11 Serie A seasons, sharing this feat with Matteo Politano and Piotr Zielinski.

On the other hand, Portugal Under-21 star Varela is set to spearhead Monza’s attack, boasting six goals in his first six league appearances since joining Italy.

For perspective, the only Monza player who has scored more in an entire top-flight season was Andrea Colpani, who netted eight in 38 appearances during the 2023-24 season.

After serving a one-match suspension, Lorenzo Lucchesi will rejoin the Brianzoli squad, but Jan Ziolkowski and captain Matteo Pessina are both injured, while Idrissa Toure’s participation remains uncertain.

Torino probable starting XI:

Perri; Comuzzo, Ismajli, Coco; Belghali, Mandragora, Braganca, Cacciamani; Vlasic; Adams, Simeon

Monza probable starting XI:

Tornqvist; Kouadio, Goglichidze, Carboni; Birindelli, Akinsanmiro, Ondoa, Mangas; Colpani, Robinson; Varela

Following their defeat to Monza in the Coppa Italia eight weeks ago, Torino has been on a more consistent upward trajectory, improving both offensively and defensively.

As a result, after their convincing win in Parma, the Granata are likely to secure all three points at home, prolonging their visitors’ struggle for any Serie A victory away from home.