Serie A | Torino 1-5 Como: Statement win as Fabregas overtakes Juventus

Como are now up to sixth place in the Serie A table and have overtaken Juventus in the process thanks to a statement 5-1 victory away against Torino on Monday evening, with goals from Jayden Addai, Jacobo Ramon, Nico Paz and Martin Baturina. 

Torino were without several key first-team players on the night: Ardian Ismajli, Ivan Ilic and Giovanni Simeone were all out injured, Saul Coco was only fit enough for a spot on the bench, while Che Adams was forced to drop out at the last minute through illness. That meant that Duvan Zapata got his first start for Torino in over a year following his cruciate ligament injury against Inter last October. 

Como had no Assane Diao, nor Sergi Roberto, Edoardo Goldaniga or Alberto Dossena. Cesc Fabregas went with an attacking line-up of Jayden Addai, Nico Paz, Jesus Rodriguez and stand-in captain Alvaro Morata. 

Click here to read more about how the teams lined up.

The visitors came close to opening the scoring 25 minutes in following Lucas Da Cunha’s free-kick delivery into the area: Ivan Smolcic and Morata both had efforts smothered on the goalline. 

Alex Valle slipped Jesus Rodriguez down the left flank 10 minutes later, the latter danced his way into the area and squared to Addai, who bundled into the back of the net with a first-time finish in the middle of the area. 

Rodriguez was at the centre of the action for Torino’s equaliser just before half-time. He attempted to make a volleyed clearance while on the swivel just inside his own area, but missed, and then had the ball bounce up and strike him on the wrist. 

A lengthy VAR review resulted in a penalty. Vlasic stepped up, shot to his left and sent Jean Butez the wrong way in the process. 

Both teams had opportunities to put themselves in front early on in the second half, but it was the combination of Rodriguez and Addai that proved the most successful again. This time, the Spaniard laid off the Dutchman on the edge of the area; he took one touch and then slammed into the bottom corner for 2-1. 

Rodriguez had his head in his hands 20 minutes before time. A Torino mix-up at the back allowed Morata to play it into the 20-year-old with all of the goal to aim at, but the youngster was off balance and fired miles off target. 

Como did get their two-goal lead a few moments later, though. Maxi Perrone lifted the ball into the area in the second phase after a corner, and Ramon was on hand to guide a well-placed header into the corner of the net. 

Paz stuck the ball in the back of the net for a Como fourth with 15 minutes to go. Initially flagged offside, replays showed that Niels Nkounkou did not step up quickly enough, and that he had in fact played the Argentine on. 

Paz is now level with Christian Pulisic, Hakan Calhanoglu and Riccardo Orsolini at the top of the Serie A goalscoring charts with five so far this term. 

Summer signing Baturina finally got his first goal for the club five minutes before the 90th, breaking free after a terrible back-pass from Alieu Njie. He carried it the length of the Torino half before slotting past the helpless Alberto Paleari. 

Torino 1-5 Como

Addai (C) 36’, 52’, Vlasic (T) 45+2’, Ramon (C) 71’, Paz (C) 76’, Baturina (C) 86’.