Torino secured their second Serie A victory of the season with a 2-1 win over Udinese, ending a run of three successive defeats against them in this fixture.
Daniel Braganca gave Torino the lead after 36 minutes, but Jurgen Ekkelenkamp equalised before half-time for Udinese. The hosts regained control in the second half when goalkeeper Maduka Okoye made a costly error, allowing substitute Sandro Kulenovic to score into an empty net.
The result moved Ignazio Abate’s side three points clear of the relegation zone. Torino will aim to make it successive league victories when they visit Parma next weekend, while Udinese host Lecce hoping to end a run of four consecutive defeats.
Chances were scarce during a subdued opening between two teams struggling for form. Giorgi Chakvetadze, the former Watford midfielder, went closest early on, but his effort was stopped by strong defending from Saul Coco.
Udinese continued to offer little threat, while Torino struggled to create a clear opportunity until Gaetano Oristanio’s effort was blocked shortly before the half-hour mark. Unai Gomez then headed wide, before Oier Zarraga fired over from distance.
Torino finally broke the deadlock when Che Adams’ improvised volley struck the post. The rebound fell to Braganca inside the six-yard box and he made no mistake, giving Torino the lead for the first time in a Serie A match this season.
Their advantage lasted only until the final stages of the first half. A ricochet inside the area fell to Ekkelenkamp, who had scored the winner in Udinese’s 2-1 victory in this fixture last season. The midfielder responded with a low left-footed finish into the bottom corner.
The equaliser meant Torino had conceded in 11 successive league matches, matching the unwanted run they recorded in 2020.
Torino restored their lead midway through the second half after an extraordinary mistake by Okoye. The Nigeria international came to the edge of his penalty area to head away a long ball, but collided with his own defender Nicolo Bertola. The loose ball went directly to Kulenovic, who calmly passed it into the unguarded net.
The hosts pushed for a third, with Kulenovic shooting wide and Emirhan Ilkhan forcing a good save from Okoye. Giovanni Simeone also tested the Udinese goalkeeper, but Torino had already done enough to secure the points.
Ekkelenkamp was named Flashscore Man of the Match despite ending on the losing side.