Friendly: AS Monaco edges past Torino in first of two matches vs the Italians
© Benjamin Godart - Monaco Tribune
AS Monaco opened their two-legged series against Torino with a clinical 3-1 victory to extend their unbeaten run to begin pre-season. This latest success, their fourth in this preparation phase, was achieved under the eyes of President Dmitry Rybolovlev, who was present for this fixture at the Performance Center.
Nouvelle victoire contre Torino devant le Président Dmitry Rybolovlev. pic.twitter.com/vwxhLXM7kY
— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) July 30, 2025
The Match
Adi Hütter stuck with a 4-4-2 setup for the clash, as he picked a quality team that included Thilo Kehrer and Eric Dier in defence and Lamine Camara and Denis Zakaria in midfield. Both sides signalled their intent early, with Che Adams and Maghnes Akliouche firing off promising attempts. It was Torino who struck first, though, with Lithuanian talent Gvidas Gineitis scoring in the sixth minute.
Monaco responded with urgency, as Paris Brunner forced two saves from Alberto Paleari in quick succession. Moments later, star striker Mika Biereth levelled the ledger, netting his third goal of the pre-season.
Mika Biereth was a threat on several occasions in front of goal © Benjamin Godart – Monaco Tribune
Continuing their momentum, Camara looked to have powered Monaco in front following Brunner’s dazzling break in the 24th minute, but the effort was ruled offside. The Senegalese dynamo wouldn’t be denied for long, for his deflected shot late in the half bamboozled Paleari and found the net off the underside of the bar to put Monaco ahead at the interval.
© Benjamin Godart – Monaco Tribune
While Torino came out swinging after the restart, Les Monegasques quickly reasserted control. Despite captain Zakaria going close with a fierce strike just before the hour mark, Monaco’s pressure told, as Aleksandr Golovin doubled the lead with a composed finish (64’).
Not content and hungry for more, George Ilenikhena and Akliouche enjoyed solid late opportunities, but neither could convert. Radoslaw Majecki then proved his class at the death by making a crucial one-on-one stop vs Zakaria Aboukhlal to seal the 3-1 triumph.
Hütter’s Debrief
“We deserved this victory. The goal of this match was to allow some players to play for 90 minutes. The players are in good physical shape, and that’s a very good thing for us. I’m very satisfied with this first match against Torino,” explained the Austrian.
“I liked the intensity the team showed in this game. We were also very strong in the way we structured our plays, especially in the second half. None of our players are injured, which is also a great satisfaction for the entire staff.”
Round Two Awaits
Attention now shifts to the rematch with the Bulls at 10:30 am on Thursday, where ASM will be eager to flex their muscles and reign supreme once again.