A controversial penalty, then a header: the Argentine gives the Emiliani their first victory. Baroni’s good performance and Ngonge’s feat are not enough

A brace from Mateo Pellegrino allowed coach Cuesta to secure his first Serie A win and Parma to overtake Torino, who suffered their third defeat in the first five games. The derby between the strikers, both sons of former players, was won decisively by the Gialloblù, who also had a header disallowed for a previous foul on Israel, while Simeone, despite his best efforts, was unable to make an impact on the match as he had done in the last away game at the Olimpico against Roma. The Granata were condemned by Collu’s refereeing, which left many perplexed, but also by defensive errors, especially on high balls. Pellegrino’s 2-1 goal, his second brace in Serie A, both against Torino, came from a Valeri corner kick on which Baroni’s zone defense failed, but even before that, there had been great apprehension in trying to stop the Argentine center forward. There is something to fix when not in possession, and the ten goals conceded in the first five rounds prove it, but if Torino had left the Tardini with a point, no one could have cried foul. Because, for long stretches, it was Vlasic and his teammates who dictated the game, putting their opponents under pressure and creating more chances on goal. They also managed to react, finding the equalizer with Ngonge after ending the first half at a disadvantage thanks to a very dubious penalty converted by Pellegrino, but then they ruined everything with another defensive distraction, and at that point, Cuesta’s team took control.

Toro prepared well for the match and, with full-court pressure and man-to-man marking, prevented the hosts from building their game. Asllani and Casadei stepped up to prevent Bernabé and Keita from receiving the ball, so the Gialloblù defenders resorted to long balls to Pellegrino. Cutrone and Oristanio were cut out of the game, the man Cuesta chose to make his formation more offensive, switching to 3-4-2-1. For a good half hour, the Granata controlled the game, showing more energy, more running, and clearer ideas, but they also failed to capitalize on the scoring opportunities available to Ngonge and Simeone. Toro’s 1-0 lead would have changed the course of the match, which instead turned in Parma’s favor with Pellegrino’s penalty, the first shot on target for the Ducali, who were clearly struggling to build. This time, the deficit did not knock Baroni’s team off their stride as it had against Inter and Atalanta. Torino came out of the locker room unchanged but determined to get back on level terms. Ngonge succeeded with a dribble past Keita and a powerful shot from outside the box that Suzuki could do nothing about. The Belgian’s play gave the visitors new momentum, and they came close to scoring again with a shot from outside the box by Casadei: possession was all with the Granata, and Parma was in trouble. Cuesta took off Oristanio, who was not very effective, and brought on Benedyczak to put more pressure on the opponent’s build-up play, but Israel’s goal was only threatened by a high shot from Keita. Baroni, who was aiming for the win, brought on fresh legs with Tameze and Biraghi replacing Asllani and Nkounkou. He certainly couldn’t have imagined his team’s mistake on Valeri’s corner kick, which allowed Pellegrino to become the hero of the night. With the introduction of Adams, the Granata switched to a very offensive 4-4-2: Ngonge and Vlasic on the wings, plus the newcomer and Simeone in the center of the attack, put pressure on the hosts, but the only one who tried with conviction was Ngonge. Parma, with many of its legends from the past (including Cannavaro, Benarrivo, Melli, and Fuser) and president Krause in the stands, celebrated a victory that could give its season a boost, while Torino is still searching, more than for good form, for the consistency of results it needs to climb the table.