Sassuolo beat Torino 2-1 at the MAPEI Stadium - Città del Tricolore on Saturday, and the margin was settled by a substitute who had been on the pitch for six minutes — Domenico Berardi, arriving in the 72nd minute and scoring the winner six minutes later to deny Ignazio Abate's side any foothold in the early season.
The first decisive passage came in the 32nd minute, when Sassuolo midfielder Vasilije Adžić found Cristian Volpato, and the Sassuolo forward converted the opener. It was a lead that looked increasingly comfortable as the half progressed, but Torino pulled level in the second minute of first-half stoppage time through defender Pietro Comuzzo, assisted by Alessio Cacciamani. Comuzzo's equaliser arrived at precisely the moment Abate's side needed it most, and it reset the contest heading into the interval.
The second half's shape was altered almost immediately by Alberto Aquilani's Sassuolo. Three substitutions arrived in the 60th and 61st minutes: Kristian Thorstvedt on for Adžić, Benjamín Domínguez on for Volpato — who had collected a yellow card in the 47th minute — and Rafael Obrador on for Josh Doig. Volpato's withdrawal was notable given his role in the opener; the triple change reorganised Sassuolo's attacking options and, crucially, left room for Berardi's entrance twelve minutes later.
Berardi is the key individual here. Sassuolo's Domenico Berardi came on in the 72nd minute for Kieron Bowie and required only six minutes to settle the match. His goal, assisted by defender Fedde Leysen, restored Sassuolo's lead at 2-1 and proved to be the winner. That a player of Berardi's experience could arrive cold from the bench and immediately alter the outcome speaks to the depth Aquilani has at his disposal — and to the tactical intelligence of holding him back until the match was there to be taken.
Torino's difficulty was structural as much as circumstantial. Abate's side came into this fixture having lost their Serie A opener against AC Milan, and the pattern repeated: a goal conceded, a response, then a second concession they could not answer. Gvidas Gineitis had been booked in the 23rd minute and was withdrawn in the 67th, one of five Torino substitutions that included the late introduction of Duván Zapata in the 83rd — too little time to alter the arithmetic. The head-to-head record between these sides had favoured Torino across the two previous meetings, but that historical edge offered no protection against a Sassuolo side that managed its game intelligently once ahead.
In terms of form across their last three matches — spanning Serie A and Coppa Italia — Sassuolo have collected six points from two wins and one defeat, scoring six and conceding three. Torino's corresponding window shows three points from one win and two defeats. The contrast in trajectory is already visible two rounds into the league campaign, with Sassuolo's home form providing a reliable base: a 3-0 Coppa Italia win over Cesena preceded this result, and the MAPEI Stadium is shaping up as a difficult venue for visitors.
A month from now, this match will be remembered as the afternoon Berardi reminded everyone why Aquilani kept him in reserve.