MedianaijaNigeria's Top Entertainment & News Website
goalkeeper in orange kit
Sports

Okoye error hands Torino 2-1 win over Udinese

Maduka Okoye's collision with Nicolò Bertola gave Torino the winner as Udinese lost a fourth straight Serie A match, 2-1.

Medianaija Editorial3 min read

Udinese's fourth straight defeat came after a collision between Maduka Okoye and Nicolò Bertola gave Sandro Kulenović an open goal.

Torino beat Udinese 2-1 at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino on 12 October, in the late match that closed Serie A's sixth round. It was Udinese's fourth straight league defeat, and the decisive moment was a mix-up at the back. Nigeria goalkeeper Maduka Okoye came off his line to clear a long ball in the 67th minute and collided with teammate Nicolò Bertola. Substitute Sandro Kulenović was left with an empty net.

Before that, Torino had taken the lead through Daniel Bragança, and Jurgen Ekkelenkamp, a former Ajax player, had levelled for Udinese before half-time.

Okoye played the full 90 minutes and was beaten twice: first by Bragança's finish from a rebound after Che Adams hit the woodwork, then by Kulenović after the collision. Later in the game, Okoye also made a fine stop to keep Torino substitute Emirhan İlkhan out. FotMob gave him a 5.3 rating.

Udinese had more of the ball and more shots, but Torino created more clear-cut chances, so the visitors' problems went beyond one moment.

Udinese coach Kosta Runjaic took the blame himself and compared the error with the one that cost his side against Cagliari before the international break:

"We lost because of a big mistake, like against Cagliari. As head coach, I'm responsible too. It was a lack of communication and perception, and with mistakes like these you end up losing games."

The coach also said his side had not done enough at the other end: "We didn't score or create many chances. The defensive error is costly, but Torino's first goal also came from a set piece."

On the Bertola mix-up, Runjaic said the team first had to talk about the error between Bertola and Okoye. "Without this mistake, the match would have ended in a draw." He also described a wider pattern, saying: "In the last two matches, we have had blackouts caused by a lack of awareness of danger, a lack of aggression and an absence of communication".

David Alaba made his debut for the visitors, coming on off the bench with 18 minutes left. Ahead of the match, Runjaic had pointed out that the ex-Real Madrid defender required cautious handling, having gone three months without competitive action.

Udinese remain on four points from six league matches. Runjaic said there were positives, including the return of Oumar Solet, and that "now we're waiting for a lot of players to come back."

No comments yet