2' min
Torino’s dream came to an abrupt end on a bitter Sunday, as Lazio claimed a 3-2 away victory, halting the Granata’s positive run. After a strong start to the season that had placed Torino at the top of the standings for the first time in 47 years, Vanoli’s team was confronted with harsh reality: defensive weaknesses, compounded by a summer transfer window that failed to strengthen the backline, were fully exploited by Lazio, who finally translated their away performances into points.
Lazio immediately took control of the match, with Tavares dominating the left wing thanks to his physicality. In the 8th minute, an error by Vojvoda in midfield allowed Tavares to surge forward and deliver a low cross to Guendouzi, who slotted it home with precision. Granata’s goalkeeper Paleari, standing in for the injured Milinkovic-Savic, appeared slow to react to the shot.
Torino struggled to recover, facing difficulties in building play against a well-organized Lazio side, which pressed high but intelligently. Despite Torino’s troubles, Lazio failed to fully capitalize, allowing the home side to slowly grow back into the game. In the 41st minute, Zapata’s lay-off set up Ilic, whose shot was brilliantly saved by Provedel, who also managed to deny Zapata’s header on the rebound.
At halftime, Vanoli opted for a more aggressive approach, bringing on Ché Adams, who immediately caused problems for Lazio’s defense. However, it was Lazio’s counterattacks that made the difference, with Paleari making two crucial saves from Castellanos in the 49th and 56th minutes. In the 68th minute, Lazio found their third goal as Isaksen beat Coco and laid the ball off to Dia, who scored from inside the box.
Torino fought back with Adams, who reduced the deficit after a smart play by Vlasic, making his return after a long injury layoff. As Torino increased the pressure and the atmosphere in the stadium heated up, Lazio cooled things down with well-executed counterattacks. The decisive goal came from Noslin, who scored just seconds after coming off the bench, assisted by Vecino. There was still time for Coco’s spectacular bicycle-kick goal, set up by Masina, but the 3-2 scoreline rewarded the team that managed the key moments better.
