Torino's finishing did the work as Monza's chances dried up

Torino beat Monza 3-2 at home with three goals from chances that were only ordinary in quality.

Monza created very little at Torino, yet they still left with two goals. Their expected goals, a figure that adds up how good each chance was rather than how many were taken, came to 0.6. Away from home they usually reach 1.76, so that is a long way below their normal level, and it makes the 3-2 scoreline harder to read than it first looks.

Torino's chances were close to their usual quality, and their finishing was not. Their 1.13 expected goals sat a little under their home average of 1.26, yet they scored three times, where they normally manage 1.4 at home. Kian Fitz-Jim scored the first on 39 minutes, with Giovanni Simeone credited with the assist, and Nikola Vlašić added the third on 72 minutes.

Volume was the other difference. Torino took 17 shots against a home average of 9.1 for the season, and seven of them were on target. Nine of those attempts came from outside the box, which helps explain why the expected-goal total stayed close to normal, because efforts from distance rarely carry much chance of going in.

Monza had 49% of the ball, above their away average of 44.7%, but it bought them little. They managed seven shots, against their usual 13, and only three of them were on target. Gustavo Varela scored their first on 47 minutes, eight minutes after Torino's opener, and he finished the afternoon rated 7.5, the highest mark on the Monza side.

Torino's defence had a quieter time than the scoreline suggests, though it was not untroubled. The Monza goalkeeper, N. Törnqvist, made four saves, more than any other keeper in the match, and he was rated 6.6 for a afternoon spent mostly watching the ball come towards him. Torino's own keeper had two saves to make.

Monza's second goal arrived late, an own goal on 90 minutes, and by then Torino had been two ahead since Vlašić's strike on 72. Rafik Belghali had also scored for Torino on 61 minutes, and he won four of his individual battles on the pitch. Vlašić was the best-rated player in the game at 8.2, and his goal was the one that settled the contest.

Torino's home record this season reads three wins, one draw and three defeats. Monza's away record reads two wins, one draw and four defeats.

Player of the matchN. Vlašić1 goal8.2

R. Belghali1 goal7.7

K. Fitz-Jim1 goal7.7

Gustavo Varela1 goal7.5