Monza dismantled Cagliari 4-0 at the U-Power Stadium on October 19, with Gustavo Varela scoring twice and Noel Törnqvist keeping Monza’s first clean sheet of the Serie A season. The win ended Cagliari’s four-game unbeaten streak and handed the home side a commanding victory.
Monza’s opening goal came just before half-time when Dany Mota set up Eddy Kouadio, who slotted a low finish from close range in the 39th minute. The second half began explosively as Varela doubled the lead within two minutes, firing a shot across Cagliari goalkeeper Elia Caprile into the bottom-left corner following a layoff from goalkeeper Foe Ondoa.
Cagliari, unbeaten in their previous four away matches and having secured a 1-1 draw against Juventus recently, pushed forward in search of a response. Paul Mendy’s header went wide from a corner, and Törnqvist made a crucial save to keep out Yerry Mina’s header, denying the visitors any momentum.
Monza’s third goal arrived in the 66th minute when Varela turned provider, delivering a precise pass to Jay Robinson. Robinson curled a shot from the edge of the box into the bottom-right corner, extending Monza’s lead to 3-0. Despite Cagliari’s attempts to get back in the game, including Mendy missing a close-range chance and substitute Andrea Colpani hitting the post, the visitors failed to find a breakthrough.
Varela completed his brace in the 79th minute after Robinson struck the right post. The Uruguayan forward reacted quickly to tap in the rebound, sealing the 4-0 victory. Törnqvist kept Monza’s clean sheet intact with two late saves, denying substitute Kevin Carlos in injury time.
Monza’s lineup was affected by suspensions and injuries. Lorenzo Lucchesi was suspended, while Matteo Pessina, Idrissa Touré, Jan Ziolkowski, Zéballos, and Mayé were sidelined through injury. Saba Goglichidze stepped into the back three to cover for Lucchesi. Cagliari also faced absences with Fabio Pisacane suspended after a dispute with Luciano Spalletti. Assistant Giacomo Murelli took charge from the bench. Mattia Felici, Riyad Idrissi, and Yael Trepy were unavailable, and M’Bala Nzola partnered Paul Mendy in attack.
Monza’s victory followed a recent 3-1 defeat at Lazio, leaving Ivan Juric’s side seeking a rebound. Cagliari’s unbeaten run had included four straight away game wins, but they struggled to impose themselves against the Brianzoli. The hosts capitalised on their chances with clinical finishing and solid defensive work to earn their first clean sheet of the campaign.
The final scoreline read Monza 4, Cagliari 0, with goals from Kouadio (39), Varela (47, 79), and Robinson (66). The result leaves Monza with a boost after their earlier setback in the season.
According to Yahoo Sports.
