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Torino discovered a glimmer of hope just in time to head into September’s international break with a positive note. Nemanja Radonjic, coming off the bench, scored a last-minute winner in a hard-fought 1-0 home victory over newly-promoted Genoa.
Following a goalless draw against Cagliari and a 4-1 defeat to Milan, Ivan Juric was feeling the pressure to produce results. On the other hand, Genoa arrived at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino with high hopes after securing a 1-0 win against Lazio. Their star striker, Mateo Retegui, aimed to build on his match-winning goal at the Stadio Olimpico.
However, Torino displayed resilience once again in defense. Known for their low-scoring matches under Juric, the Granata spent most of the game defending their goal. Scoring opportunities were rare for both sides, particularly in the first 45 minutes.
Despite making several attempts to break the deadlock on his Torino debut, Duvan Zapata lacked the finishing touch. Just when it seemed like the former Atalanta forward’s first start wouldn’t be enough to help Juric’s team overcome their well-documented scoring struggles, Radonjic injected some late excitement.
The lightning-fast winger connected with a low cross in injury time, securing three morale-boosting points for Torino. Prior to Radonjic’s goal, they had failed to score in four of their previous eight Serie A matches.
Juric now has a two-week break to find a much-needed balance between his solid defense and the lackluster attack. Meanwhile, Alberto Gilardino faces a significant challenge in ensuring that Genoa avoids a quick return to the second tier of Italian football.