Torino continued their strong start to the campaign with a 2-1 victory away to rock bottom Cremonese, decided by Nikola Vlasic and Nemanja Radonjic.
The hosts were still looking for their first point of the season following unlucky late defeats and had a full squad to choose from, Gonzalo Escalante returning from suspension. Toro missed Aleksei Miranchuk and David Zima, with players like Simone Zaza, Armando Izzo and Simone Verdi frozen out awaiting transfers, but gave ex-Ajax defender Perr Schuurs his first start.
Toro took the lead after a chaotic move pin-balling around the six-yard box until Nikola Vlasic’s effort took another deflection off Matteo Bianchetti.
Bianchetti tried to make up for it, stinging Vanja Milinkovic-Savic’s gloves from outside the area with a ferocious volley, while Jaime Baez drilled just wide of the far post.
Straight after the restart, Nemanja Radonjic was denied by Ionut Radu one-on-one at the near post, then the Cremonese goalkeeper stood strong and used his legs to parry when Karol Linetty was sent clear on the counter-attack.
Radonjic saw his curler go just over the bar, but doubled Toro’s lead moments later with a great goal. Radonjic started and finished the move, spreading the play for Mergim Vojvoda down the left and making the run so he was ready to tap in from six yards.
Cyriel Dessers had his effort denied by a fine Milinkovic-Savic save and Cremonese pulled one back with a sensational finish from Leonardo Sernicola. Dessers knocked down the long ball and Sernicola hit it on the half-volley with the inside of the left boot to bend into the far top corner.
Dessers came close to an equaliser, turning wide at the near post from a Cristian Buonaiuto free kick, but it’s another defeat for Cremonese.
Cremonese 1-2 Torino
Vlasic 17 (T), Radonjic 65 (T), Sernicola 80 (C)