Football Italia
·12 May 2024
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·12 May 2024
Verona were about to celebrate Serie A safety when stunned by the Torino turnaround through Zanos Savva and Pietro Pellegri.
Hellas took significant steps towards safety with victories over Udinese and Fiorentina, but while Jovane Cabal returned, Michael Folorunsho was suspended. Toro scraped only three draws from the last five rounds, making it very unlikely they could stay in the race for a Conference League spot. Nikola Vlasic, Gvidas Gineitis, Saba Sazonov, Koffi Djidji and Perr Schuurs were still injured, with Alessandro Buongiorno only fit for the bench.
The teams wore special edition jerseys with their maternal surnames on the back, in honour of Mother’s Day.
Darko Lazovic’s curler was deflected off target and a Tijjani Noslin free header plucked out of the air, but Diego Coppola risked an own goal with his defensive header on the Adrien Tameze cross.
Straight after the restart, Vanja Milinkovic-Savic got down to palm a Noslin daisy-cutter out from the far bottom corner.
Verona should’ve scored after a well-worked passing move, but as Noslin pulled back from the left, Tomas Suslov scuffed the finish from 12 yards.
It was only a warning, as Hellas did break the deadlock when Adrien Tameze’s horrible throw-in was a gift, as Suat Serdar pulled back from the by-line for Karol Swiderski to tap in from six yards.
There should’ve been another as Milinkovic-Savic flapped at a cross and Diego Coppola failed to take advantage, nodding wide at the back post, but the goalkeeper made a tough one-handed save moments later on Suslov.
Toro equalised against the run of play with their Cypriot debutant, as a Valentin Lazaro cross went over Pellegri to find Zanos Savva right behind him.
It was almost turned around moments later, Samuele Ricci forcing a save at the near post, then Pellegri did complete the comeback from the tightest of angles, his finish going through Lorenzo Montipò’s legs and bouncing in off the inside of the far post.
Swiderski almost scored by accident, as Milinkovic-Savic punched a cross onto his face and it ricocheted inches wide.
Verona did have the ball in the net on 89 minutes, but the referee immediately disallowed for Thomas Henry’s two-handed push in the back on Alessandro Dellavalle.
Swiderski 67 (V), Savva 77 (T), Pellegri 83 (T)