Serie A, Benevento-Torino 2-2: goals from Viola, Lapadula and a double from Zaza

It was the night of the heart and the pomegranate of valor, as of the Samnite deception. But also a bull found at 45 ‘. Because after being down 2-0 (penalty from Viola and claw from Lapadula), Toro is suddenly reborn and plays a recovery of pride and momentum dragged by a double from a Zaza so, probably, never seen. With that 2-2 scream signed in the 93rd minute, almost in the last second: Nicola’s Toro started again in Benevento and won a gold point. Inzaghi comes out bitter, reached only in the minutes of recovery.

THE DEBUT

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So, here it is: the night of Davide Nicola’s debut on that bank of grenades he’s always dreamed of. He arrived four days ago, presented yesterday, today to lead the Turin that he began modeling very recently and that, of course, cannot even remotely define his own. The one from Vignone in Turin and a lifelong Turinista. All the first glances are focused on this coach who entered the court with great determination, and who throughout the evening does not stop moving, shouting, cheering. “Let’s play together, let’s play as a team,” he starts yelling. And then: “We spin the ball fast, we give intensity,” will continue. His first options are in the sign of those who preceded him, as we had guessed the day before: Toro with 3-5-2, outside of Verdi and Bremer, inside Zaza and Rodríguez as central. Linetty again in the middle of the field, Ansaldi returns to the left. On the other hand, Inzaghi’s Benevento changes something compared to what was expected: not 4-3-2-1 but Inzaghi prefers to reflect himself, with 3-5-2.

A FIGHT OF FIGHT

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More than a first part, the feeling is that we are witnessing a fight: many fouls, some prohibited contacts, a long streak of whistles from Giacomelli. However, let’s be honest: net of the episodes and the decisions of the referees, in the first half the Bull is still a prisoner of his fears. The episodes, we count: the first arrives at nine minutes, when a carom is born of the developments of a curve in which there is also the face-to-face confrontation between Tuia and Izzo. In the fray Glik scores, but Giacomelli uses the monitor and rightly cancels because after Sirigu’s first stop the ball hits Glik’s arm helping him in a decisive control. Toro runs little and badly, does not shine but manages to have a sensational opportunity for the demerits of others shortly after: it is 26 ‘, Montipò and Barba make a mess, but Zaza does not take advantage of it by wasting in front of the goalkeeper. Four minutes pass and we come to the episode that changes the balance: Lyanco twice rejects a comfortable ball with his head in the center, Viola throws Lapadula into the area. The forward attempts a failed balloon and is immediately run over by Sirigu awkwardly. For Giacomelli it is a penalty that Viola later transforms (it is 1-0): a decision that leaves many doubts, because Lapadula had already kicked towards the goal without obstacles and at the time of contact with Sirigu he was no longer available. of the ball.

LAPADULA-ZAZA

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At the start of the second half, Nicola is forced to make the first change: in Buongiorno instead of an Izzo still stunned by the clash with Tuia in the opening minutes of the match. The fun is not lacking at the beginning, and it is a beat and beat in barely one hundred and twenty seconds: Lapadula (4 ‘) takes care of the dances, using an involuntary assistance from Lukic and a deflection from a late Rodríguez to beat. Sirigu. It is the momentary 2-0, but exactly two minutes later Zaza, in a surgical center in Singo, once again finishes off Toro to the match: 2-1 with a second half to play. Zaza hasn’t scored in the league since November 22. The net has the effect of playing the charge for the grenade, very close to par with a wave of a wild Singo (11 ‘), just to the side. Now he is a completely different Bull, who nevertheless lacks luck and who also breaks with Belotti (14 ‘) but the Rooster on his way finds a well-kept Montipò. Simone Zaza would also make a double (17 ‘) but before kicking with the left he tames the ball with a raised arm of Belotti: Giacomelli annuls after reviewing the action on the monitor. In the middle of the second half, Baselli (for Linetty) and Caldirola (for Tello) return to the field.

THE SCREAM IN THE FINAL

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Toro attacks with his head down and Belotti also has a goal disallowed for an offside position by a few centimeters (26 ‘). With a quarter of an hour to go, Nicola redesigns the team with a 3-4-1-2 putting Verdi (who came in Lukic’s place) behind Zaza and Belotti, but Zaza still has a chance in the middle. in the center of Ansaldi: a slightly high hook. Benevento’s break is at the feet of Hetemaj (37 ‘), with a powerful finish that comes out of the curve. Falque (for Lapadula), Dabo (for Ionita) and Gojak (for Rodríguez) enter the final. Zaza has his hands in his face, two minutes from the end, after having placed a left that by centimeters is not worth two to two. At this point, however, Taurus would have deserved it. And the shout comes just when everything is about to end: at 93 ‘Belotti catches Zaza in the heart of the penalty area and this time the 2-2 is regular. In the last corner, in the last breath. The Bull is there.