Paolo Vanoli’s adventure on the Torino bench lasted only one season. The Granata finished yet another season in an anonymous position in the standings despite a decent first half of the season, and the former Venezia coach was not confirmed. The club from the Piedmontese capital has chosen Marco Baroni to replace him, who returns to the “provinces” after a bittersweet experience at Lazio: he too did not disappoint at the helm of a big club, but the disappointing finish convinced president Lotito to make a change, once again placing his trust in Sarri.
Torino has played several friendlies: the only victory came against Cremonese, while in the last three games, the Granata lost to Monaco (twice) and Valencia, conceding a total of nine goals. Meanwhile, the transfer market has brought in some players who could do well in the shadow of the Mole: in attack, former Napoli duo Simeone and Ngonge are looking to relaunch their careers after seeing little action last season. Before their league debut against Inter, Torino host Modena at the Olimpico in the round of 32 of the Coppa Italia: the Emiliani, who narrowly missed out on the playoffs in their last Serie B campaign, have turned to Andrea Sottil, fresh from a very negative—and fleeting—experience on the Sampdoria bench. Torino are obviously favorites, but it cannot be ruled out that the Canarini will manage to score at least one goal in a match that is likely to see more than two goals in total.
Predictions for the other matches
Udinese’s season also kicks off in the Coppa Italia: the Friulians will face Carrarese, the revelation of the last Serie B championship, which secured its safety well in advance.
Kosta Runjaic is still in charge of the Bianconeri, but the German coach will no longer be able to count on Thauvin and Lucca, who have both left (one for Lens and the other for Napoli). However, Udinese have looked very promising in their friendlies, beating Strasbourg, Twente, and Werder Bremen in a number of international tests. Victory seems a foregone conclusion against the Apuani, who are unlikely to cause the Friulians too many problems. In the other two matches scheduled for today, the Ligurian derby between Spezia and Sampdoria stands out: the Blucerchiati have dramatically avoided relegation to Serie C thanks to a readmission and, still grappling with well-known financial problems, are hoping for a less turbulent season. At the moment, however, Spezia seems to have the upper hand. We conclude with the match between Audace Cerignola and Verona: the Apulians, who were in contention for Serie B until the end last season, have little hope against the Scaligeri. The two-division difference will be felt: at least three goals in total.
Coppa Italia: possible winners
Udinese (in Udinese-Carrarese)
Torino (in Torino-Modena)
Spezia (in Spezia-Sampdoria)
The match with at least three goals in total
Audace Cerignola-Verona
Coppa Italia: the match with at least one goal per team
Torino-Modena
Odds comparison
Spezia’s victory is priced at 1.87 on Lottomatica and 1.80 on Snai.
The “Over 2.5” bet in Audace Cerignola-Verona is quoted at 1.42 on Lottomatica and 1.45 on Snai.