A lead that did not last
Torino went into the Como game as one of Serie A’s form sides. They had won their previous three matches, and [1] noted the run before kick-off. The hosts then took the lead through Che Adams and appeared to be on course for a fourth straight victory.
The closing stages undid that. According to [2], Como came from behind and scored late through Jacobo Ramón, Nico Paz and Martin Baturina. That turned a 1-0 home lead into a 3-1 defeat, with all three goals conceded in the final stretch.
Coach Ignazio Abate was frustrated afterwards. [3] reports that he said the team needs better ball control against strong opponents. It is a measured diagnosis: the problem was not the first hour but how Torino managed the game once ahead and how long they could hold the ball under pressure.
Absences and the attacking shape
Torino were short of players again. The official line-up report from [4] lists Rolando Mandragora, Niccolò Fortini, Ricardo Rodriguez and Franco Israel as unavailable. Mandragora’s absence is put down to a thigh injury, and the sources give no return dates for any of the four.
The attack, though, looks more settled. Reporting indicates that Nikola Vlašić is being used in support of two strikers, Che Adams and Giovanni Simeone, since the injury crisis eased. That source is less certain than the others, so treat it as the likely shape rather than a guaranteed one.
Adams scoring against Como fits that picture, and the front three were not the weak point in this game. Losing a midfielder of Mandragora’s standing is a different matter, because ball control in the middle of the pitch is exactly what Abate pointed to after the match.
What the run before the defeat showed
The loss should be read against the wins that preceded it. Torino beat Udinese 2-1 at home on 12 October and then won 3-0 away at Parma on 19 October. On 23 October they edged Monza 3-2 at home. That sequence took them to 13 points, and [1] described them as arriving on a three-game winning run.
Those results show a side that scores. Nine goals in three games is a healthy return, though the 3-2 against Monza also showed that the defence was giving chances away. The Como game repeated that weakness at the worst moment: three goals conceded after leading.
Before the run, the last result in the club’s records was a 1-1 draw away at Bologna on 19 September. Mixed results either side of a hot streak are typical of a mid-table team still finding its level, and one defeat does not undo the three wins.
What it means
The table sums up the situation. Torino are 8th in Serie A with 13 points from nine games, with four wins, one draw and four defeats. They have scored 14 goals and conceded 14, a balance that matches a mid-table position. The Como loss added nothing to the points total, but the three wins before it show the team can compete.
The form line reads W, W, W, L, with that draw at Bologna before them. Torino can score, but they have now twice been exposed late in games, and that is the trend Abate has to address.
The next question comes on 1 November, when Torino visit Frosinone in Serie A. The fixture asks whether they can keep the ball and see out a game. The four absentees remain a concern, especially Mandragora in midfield. predict.game’s forecast for the match locks 24 hours before kick-off, so no prediction is attached yet. When it appears, the injury news and Abate’s response to the Como defeat will be the details that matter most.
Sources
- Football Italia: Fabregas: ‘Como must stay focused against Torino’ as Kean and Liberali miss out football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Serie A | Torino 1-3 Como: Nico Paz inspires comeback success football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Abate ‘a little angry’ at Torino 3-1 defeat to Como after leading for so long football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Serie A official line-ups: Torino vs. Como football-italia.net ↩
