Udinese came from behind to beat Monza 3-2 at Stadio Brianteo on Friday evening in the second round of Serie A. The visitors took a shock lead when Hassane Kamara struck just before half-time, only for Monza to respond through Jurgen Ekkelenkamp three minutes into stoppage time. The home side looked set to salvage a point before Gustavo Varela's second-half goal secured all three points for Udinese.
Jakub Piotrowski opened the scoring for Monza in the 32nd minute, latching onto a well-timed through ball to finish past the goalkeeper. Andrea Colpani doubled the hosts' advantage five minutes later, capitalising on a defensive error to slot home from close range. The momentum shifted dramatically when Kamara curled a free-kick into the top corner on the stroke of half-time, catching the home crowd off guard.
Ekkelenkamp gave Monza hope with a late equaliser in the 48th minute, heading home from a corner after goalkeeper Ondoa had been beaten. But the home side could not hold on. Varela made it 3-2 in the 63rd minute, finishing crisply after a swift counter-attack exploited spaces left by Monza's attacking intent.
Both managers made several changes as the game progressed. Monza brought on Unai Gómez and Lorenzo Lucchesi in the 60th minute, while Udinese responded with Keinan Davis and Enzo Ebosse. The visitors also turned to Mergim Vojvoda late on, while Monza replaced Andrea Colpani with Samuele Birindelli.
Monza dominated possession with 51 per cent and created more chances, registering 1.65 expected goals compared to Udinese's 0.89. The hosts had 14 key passes and 11 shots inside the penalty area, but shots accuracy of just 33 per cent told the story. Udinese were more efficient with their opportunities, converting 42 per cent of shots on target.
The result leaves Monza bottom of the table with zero points from two games, their worst possible start. Udinese move up to 10th place, building on a solid away record that includes victories over Barcelona and Nottingham Forest earlier in pre-season. The match offered plenty of entertainment, even if the final scoreline suggested more than one team deserved something from the contest.
