Torino secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over struggling Monza in Sunday’s early Serie A fixture, with Italy U21 talent Cesare Casadei netting his first-ever league goal and fellow January signing Eljif Elmas scoring for the second time in three matches.
Che Adams was restored to Torino’s starting lineup in place of Antonio Sanabria, while Sebastian Walukiewicz returned at right-back, replacing Marcus Holmgren Pedersen.
Monza, still reeling from a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Roma, made multiple changes, including handing Keita Balde his first start since signing as a free agent in February.
Casadei showed early intent, carrying the ball forward from 30 yards out and letting fly from a tight angle, but his effort fizzed just past Stefano Turati’s post.
At the other end, Keita Balde had a similar chance from the edge of the box, only to pull his shot narrowly wide of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s upright.
Adams and Nikola Vlasic combined well just outside Monza’s box, setting up Walukiewicz for a promising opportunity, but the defender miscued his shot from 11 yards, allowing Turati to collect with ease.
Monza’s Kyriakopoulos forced Milinkovic-Savic into action with a shot on target, though the Serbian goalkeeper made a comfortable save as the strike lacked power and placement.
Elmas broke the deadlock five minutes before halftime with an instinctive finish. Valentino Lazaro delivered a dangerous cross from the right wing, and Adams’ decoy run pulled defenders out of position, creating the space for Elmas to sweep home from the center of the area—his second goal since joining Torino.
Early in the second half, Casadei nearly extended Torino’s lead with an improvised effort while tumbling in the box, but Turati reacted well to tip the ball over for a corner.
The Italian midfielder eventually got his name on the scoresheet in the 65th minute. Torino built the move from the back, with Milinkovic-Savic initiating the play before Vlasic carried the ball forward.
Adams’ cut-back took a slight deflection but landed perfectly for Casadei, who controlled it off his head before smashing it past Turati from close range, securing his first-ever Serie A goal.
Tensions flared in the closing stages when a heated confrontation erupted near the touchline, leading to bookings for Tomas Palacios and Guillermo Maripan.
The flashpoint occurred after Walukiewicz was bundled over by Alessandro Bianco, who attempted to kick the ball from beneath the fallen Torino defender, sparking an angry reaction from both teams.
Despite the late tempers, Torino maintained control, sealing a well-earned victory and leaving Monza to ponder another disappointing result.
