A second-half spot kick from Nikola Vlasic is enough for Torino to edge past Sassuolo at the Mapei Stadium, as Ivan Juric’s side continues to build momentum in Serie A.
Torino made it two wins in a row with a narrow but valuable 1-0 victory away to Sassuolo, decided by a Nikola Vlasic penalty in the second half. In a match marked by wasted chances and technical errors in the final third, the Granata showed greater composure when it mattered most.
The opening half was scrappy and disjointed, with both teams struggling to create clear-cut opportunities. Torino thought they had earned a penalty earlier in the match after a challenge involving Josh Doig, but referee Calzavara—making his Serie A debut—overturned the decision following a VAR review, citing a prior foul in midfield by Tameze.
Sassuolo attempted to grow into the game, but despite their possession spells they were often undone by imprecision in the attacking phase. Goalkeeper Boris Muric kept the hosts in contention with a series of important saves, gradually redeeming himself after an earlier mistake that had initially led to the overturned penalty.
The decisive moment arrived in the 58th minute, shortly after Giovanni Simeone came off the bench. The Argentine forward immediately injected pace and aggression into Torino’s attack, beating Doig with a sharp dribble inside the box and drawing a foul. Vlasic stepped up and calmly converted from the spot, giving Torino a deserved lead.
Sassuolo pushed for an equalizer but lacked sharpness in front of goal, while Torino’s defense—marshaled superbly by Maripan and Tameze—stood firm. The visitors even had chances to double their advantage late on, but the single goal proved sufficient.
Torino leave Reggio Emilia with three points that boost both their standings and confidence, while Sassuolo suffer a setback but can still take pride in a season that has exceeded expectations overall.
Match Report
Sassuolo 0-1 Torino
Goals:
58’ Vlasic (pen)
Sassuolo (4-3-3):
Muric; Walukiewicz, Idzes, Muharemovic, Doig; Vranckx (63’ Lipani), Matic (78’ Candé), Koné; Volpato (78’ Fadera), Cheddira (63’ Moro), Laurienté (78’ Pierini).
Coach: Grosso.
Torino (3-4-1-2):
Paleari; Tameze (88’ Biraghi), Maripan, Ismajli; Pedersen, Asllani (88’ Casadei), Gineitis (58’ Ilic), Lazaro; Vlasic; Adams (85’ Ngonge), Zapata (58’ Simeone).
Coach: Baroni.
Referee: Calzavara
Yellow cards: Matic, Walukiewicz, Idzes (Sassuolo); Ilic (Torino)
Red cards: None
