Gustavo Varela's Brace Powers Monza to Dominant 4-0 Victory Over Cagliari

Monza defeated Cagliari 4-0 in Serie A on October 19th. Gustavo Varela contributed two goals and an assist at the Stadio Brianteo. This marked their second league win of the season after seven rounds.

The home team took the lead before halftime with Eddy Kouadio's goal and extended their advantage in the second half. Cagliari failed to respond.

Varela Reaches Six League Goals

Kouadio scored the opening goal in the 39th minute, assisted by Dany Mota. This was the sole goal of the first half.

Monza doubled their lead two minutes after the interval. Varela scored in the 47th minute, assisted by Ondoa. The striker then turned creator in the 66th minute, setting up Jay Robinson for the third goal.

Varela completed his brace in the 79th minute. He received a match-high rating of 9.71, with Kouadio rated 8.61 and Robinson 8.2. These two goals bring Varela's league tally to six, matching Malen and trailing Frosinone's Raimondo by one in the top scorer standings.

Törnqvist Makes Five Saves as Cagliari Miss Chances

Monza's victory was more significant than the run of play suggested. Cagliari controlled 55% of possession, made 431 passes to Monza's 347, and earned seven corners to Monza's two.

Pisacane's team also registered more shots, 16 to 14, and their expected goals (xG) of 2.11 was nearly identical to Monza's 2.1. The key difference was finishing. Törnqvist made five saves, while Caprile made two at the other end, and Monza converted four of their six shots on target.

The match became more heated towards the end. Harry Winks received a yellow card for a foul in the 76th minute. Samuele Birindelli and Alieu Fadera were cautioned for dissent in the 82nd minute.

Cagliari's Four-Match Unbeaten Streak Ends

Cagliari entered the match on a four-game unbeaten run, including a 1-1 draw with Juventus and three consecutive wins against Lecce, Atalanta, and Udinese. They currently sit seventh with 13 points, level with Frosinone, and their goal difference is now -1.

Monza are 14th with 7 points. They had lost 3-1 to Lazio in their previous game and had only secured one win in the five matches prior to Monday's game.

This result also ended Cagliari's recent dominance in this fixture. Cagliari had won the previous two encounters, 2-1 in Monza in January 2025 and 3-0 in Sardinia in March 2025. This victory marks Monza's first against them since a 1-0 win at home on March 16, 2024.

Monza will play Torino on Friday, October 23rd. Cagliari will host Bologna on Saturday, October 24th.