Salernitana kick-started their season under coach Paulo Sousa with a thumping 3-0 win over mid-table Monza, including Lassana Coulibaly’s curler and Antonio Candreva relishing a new role.
Sousa lost 2-0 to Lazio on his debut and here had to do without William Troost-Ekong, Federico Fazio and suspended Dylan Bronn, plus Boulaye Dia not fully fit. Monza suffered their first defeat of 2023 against Milan and went into this game with Marlon, Samuele Birindelli and Nicolò Rovella all banned. Alessio Cragno got his Serie A debut for the club, having until now played only in the Coppa Italia.
Candreva was in a new, more central trequartista role and fired across the face of goal, while Lorenzo Pirola charged down a Matteo Pessina effort from 12 yards.
Krzysztof Piatek was so close to finishing a rapid Salernitana counter from Monza’s corner, flicking the Domen Crnigoj assist just wide from five yards under pressure.
The Poland international really should’ve scored moments later only to turn a free header well wide from the Junior Sambia cross. Candreva did better in a similar situation, his strike deflected inches wide.
Play was halted for almost 10 minutes after a chaotic incident where Cragno accidentally clattered Pablo Mari, Luca Caldirola and Daniliuc in trying to punch a free kick clear.
Patrick Ciurria thought he’d scored with a downward header from six yards on Caldirola’s cross, but Guillermo Ochoa used his legs to parry.
Ochoa stuck out a leg again to prevent the Stefano Sensi pull-back from the by-line reaching Christian Gytkjaer for a tap-in.
It was Salernitana who took the lead with a stunning strike, as Candreva feinted a cross, instead laying it off for Lassana Coulibaly just inside the area to place a remote-controlled right-foot curler into the far top corner.
Ochoa came to the rescue again with cat-like reflexes on Dany Mota Carvalho’s flick from six yards, getting in front of the defender to meet a Carlos Augusto assist.
There was more good news for Salernitana, as Pasquale Mazzocchi made his return after knee surgery in November, then they doubled their advantage.
Domagoj Bradaric’s cross was deflected and turned into an accidental assist for Grigoris Kastanos, who let it bounce just inside the box and smashed it on the half-volley into the roof of the net.
It was 3-0 just six minutes after that, as Carlos Augusto gave it away in midfield and Cragno only parried the Piatek snapshot into the path of Candreva. His rebound thumped the underside of the bar and bounced back out, but goal-line technology confirmed it had crossed over.
Piatek missed his second absolute sitter of the afternoon, as he pounced on a Pablo Mari error and went around Cragno, only to stumble and fail to get even close to the empty net.
Monza’s day went from bad to worse, as Giulio Donati received his second yellow card for handball.
It was the boost Salernitana needed after three rounds in a row without scoring and their first home win since October 22 against Spezia.
Salernitana 3-0 Monza
Coulibaly 52 (S), Kastanos 65 (S), Candreva 71 (S)
Sent off: Donati 87 (M)
Player statistic
| Domen Crnigoj |  |
36' |
| 48' | |
Luca Caldirola | ||
| Lassana Coulibaly (Assist: Antonio Candreva) |
 |
51' | ||
| 62' | |
Pablo Marí | ||
| Grigoris Kastanos | |
65' | ||
| Grigoris Kastanos | |
68' | ||
| Antonio Candreva | |
71' | ||
| 78' | |
Giulio Donati | ||
| 87' |  |
Giulio Donati |
Match statistic
