Substitute Sandro Kulenovic absolutely pounced on a massive goalkeeping blunder from Udinese’s Maduka Okoye, snatching a 2-1 win for Torino in a wild Round 6 Serie A clash on October 12, 2026. This wasn’t just any goal, folks, this was the kind of mistake that leaves you shaking your head and wondering how Udinese is gonna recover from a brutal hit to their early season.
First Half Frenzy and David Alaba’s Return
Udinese actually came out swinging, with Oumar Solet heading narrowly wide from an early corner, showing they meant business. But it was Torino who hit first on 36 minutes. Che Adams absolutely rattled the post with a first-time shot, and Daniel Bragança was right there, quick as a flash, to bury the rebound. Bang! Just like that, Torino was up. But don’t count Udinese out, because they fought back before the break. Jurgen Ekkelenkamp had his shot blocked, but he stayed cool, controlled the loose ball, and drilled it into the bottom corner. The ref even had a VAR check, but the goal stood. What a response! It was all square at halftime, and you knew the second half was gonna be spicy. Oh, and get this: Udinese welcomed back David Alaba, making his first appearance after three months out, even though he started on the bench. Torino also had Rolando Mandragora back after a frustrating international break where he didn’t even hit the pitch for Italy. Both teams came into this game with just four points, so the stakes were already through the roof for this early season matchup.
Abate’s Subs Pay Off Big as Udinese Crumbles
Torino manager Ignazio Abate wasn’t messing around, making moves at halftime by swapping Ricardo Rodriguez for Ardian Ismajli. He then brought on Nikola Vlasic and Emirhan Ilkhan later in the second half. These changes? They were clutch. Udinese, on the other hand, got hit with an injury to James Abankwah, adding to their woes. They even had chances to take the lead themselves, with Pietro Comuzzo heading wide from a good spot and Unai Gomez going close at the other end. But those moments didn’t pay off, and they’d live to regret it. The payoff for Abate’s strategy came just three minutes after Kulenovic replaced Adams. That’s when it happened: a catastrophic error from Udinese’s keeper, Maduka Okoye, absolutely gifted Kulenovic the ball. From close range, he just rolled it into the net. Just like that, 2-1 Torino on 67 minutes. Udinese brought Alaba on for his debut 20 minutes from time, hoping for some magic, but they just couldn’t find a way back into the game. To rub salt in the wound, Ilkhan, who’d only just come on, was forced off injured after Okoye had saved well from his shot. What a turn of events!
Torino walks away with a crucial three points, thanks to that absolute gift, leaving Udinese scratching their heads. They’d only won once in five games coming into this, and this brutal loss, sealed by a major error, just compounds their early season struggles. For Torino, it’s a huge boost. For Udinese, they’ve got some serious soul-searching to do after that performance. They need to figure out how to rebound from this setback, and fast.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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