The US Cremonese ended the international break with a win, beating Monza 3-2 in a friendly. It was a useful test for manager Fabio Pecchia, who saw three different players score in the match played at the Monzello sports centre.
The grey-and-reds, currently 15th in Serie B with 5 points, showed resilience. Monza took an early lead in the 7th minute through Cyril Ngonge, but the response came seven minutes later through former striker Massimo Coda, who levelled the match. The score remained tied until halftime.
The Grey-and-Red Response
Six minutes into the second half, Lorenzo Baschirotto put his side ahead with a headed goal from a corner. Monza found another equaliser in the 70th minute through defender Antonín Barák, but Cremonese was not done. With seven minutes remaining, Swiss forward Noah Okafor, introduced from the bench, scored the definitive winning goal for 3-2.
Fabio Pecchia used many players, giving a debut to the new Dutch centre-back and rotating the entire forward line over the ninety minutes. The manager was able to test different combinations ahead of the next league away game against Arezzo, scheduled for October 10th. Pecchia's team, with just one win in their last five competitive matches, will be looking for valuable points to climb the standings.
The match was officiated by referee Niccolò Turrini from Pistoia. Among the grey-and-reds, Federico Bonazzoli, the team's current top scorer with 3 league goals, remained on the bench for the entire match.
This story first appeared at Associazione Calcio Monza S.p.A.
