MONZA, Italy, September 19, 2026: Gustavo Varela scored twice in 12 second-half minutes as Monza finally ended their long wait for a Serie A victory, beating Sassuolo 2-1 at the U-Power Stadium despite a late Vasilije Adžić free kick and a stoppage-time scare.
Varela headed Ivan Jurić’s side in front in the 51st minute before converting a penalty in the 63rd. Adžić gave Sassuolo hope with a superb free kick two minutes from the end of regulation, and Jonathan Bowie almost completed the comeback when his stoppage-time header struck the post.
Monza held on for their first league win of the 2026-27 season, moving to four points after five matches. More significantly, the victory ended a Serie A drought stretching back to May 11, 2025. Their supporters had waited even longer to celebrate a league win at home, with Monza’s previous Serie A victory at the Brianteo coming on January 13, 2025.
The official Monza match report confirmed the two-goal performance from Varela and the historical significance of the victory. The official Lega Serie A report also recorded Monza’s first league win of the season, while Sassuolo’s official report detailed Adžić’s late response.
Story at a glance
Monza Start Like a Team Tired of Waiting
Monza entered Matchday 5 with one point from their first four league games, three defeats and growing pressure around a team that had only just returned to Serie A.
Noel Törnqvist Makes His Monza Debut Count
Monza’s early dominance did not mean Sassuolo were harmless.
Gustavo Varela Finally Breaks Sassuolo’s Resistance
The breakthrough arrived six minutes into the second half.
Varela Converts From the Spot to Give Monza Control
Jurić reacted to the opening goal by refreshing his side rather than asking them to protect the advantage.
Monza Keep Pushing Instead of Protecting 2-0
The period after the penalty offered perhaps the most encouraging part of the performance for Jurić.
For continuing results, tactical analysis and the developing Italian season, follow The Sports Encounter’s Serie A coverage.
Monza 2-1 Sassuolo: Match at a Glance
| Match Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Competition | Serie A 2026-27, Matchday 5 |
| Date | September 18, 2026 |
| Venue | U-Power Stadium, Monza |
| Final Score | Monza 2-1 Sassuolo |
| Halftime | 0-0 |
| Monza Scorer | Gustavo Varela 51′, 63′ pen. |
| Sassuolo Scorer | Vasilije Adžić 88′ |
| Monza Points | 4 from 5 matches |
| Sassuolo Points | 7 from 5 matches |
| Historical Milestone | Monza’s first Serie A win since May 11, 2025 |
Five Key Points From Monza’s First Serie A Win
- Gustavo Varela scored his third and fourth league goals of the season.
- Noel Törnqvist made key first-half saves on his Monza debut to keep the match level.
- Monza’s aggressive pressing created problems for Sassuolo from the opening minute.
- Vasilije Adžić scored from a free kick in the 88th minute to set up a tense finish.
- Jonathan Bowie’s stoppage-time header struck the post with Monza protecting a one-goal lead.
Monza Start Like a Team Tired of Waiting
Monza entered Matchday 5 with one point from their first four league games, three defeats and growing pressure around a team that had only just returned to Serie A.
The urgency was visible immediately.
Within the opening minute, Patrick Cutrone drove a low cross toward Robinson, forcing Sassuolo defender Cinquegrano into a desperate intervention. A couple of minutes later Eddy Kouadio headed toward goal, only for Arijanet Muric to gather.
Ricardo Mangas then tried his luck from the left as Monza continued playing on the front foot.
The approach represented a clear response to the problems seen in their previous match. Monza had fallen three goals behind inside 21 minutes at Lecce before mounting a serious recovery, eventually losing 3-2. The Sports Encounter’s analysis of the Lecce defeat highlighted how badly Jurić’s side needed to begin matches with greater control.
Against Sassuolo, they did.
Noel Törnqvist Makes His Monza Debut Count
Monza’s early dominance did not mean Sassuolo were harmless.
Domenico Berardi gave the hosts their first major warning in the 15th minute when he met Armand Laurienté’s delivery first time. Törnqvist reacted sharply to make an important save.
The Swedish goalkeeper, making his Monza debut, was needed again later in the half.
A clever backheel from Sebastiano Esposito released Kristian Thorstvedt through the center. Törnqvist read the situation early, came off his line and prevented the midfielder from lifting the ball beyond him.
The goalkeeper briefly required treatment afterward but was able to continue.
Those saves mattered because Monza’s early league season had repeatedly been shaped by defensive moments going against them. Their return to Serie A began with a 4-1 defeat against Inter at San Siro, although Varela had already offered a glimpse of what he could provide by scoring Monza’s goal that night.
At the U-Power Stadium, Törnqvist ensured the first half remained scoreless long enough for Monza’s attack to take over after the break.
Gustavo Varela Finally Breaks Sassuolo’s Resistance
The breakthrough arrived six minutes into the second half.
Cutrone had already forced Muric to turn a shot behind for a corner when Samuele Birindelli delivered the resulting set piece into the penalty area.
Varela attacked the ball aggressively and headed toward goal.
Muric could not secure it, and Monza had the lead.
It was Varela’s third Serie A goal of the season and another sign that the Portuguese forward has adapted quickly to the level.
His first came against Inter on the opening weekend, when he turned away from Manuel Akanji and finished across goal. That individual moment stood out even within a difficult team result and was one of the more encouraging elements identified in The Sports Encounter’s 2026-27 Serie A season preview, which framed Monza’s campaign around the challenge of turning promotion momentum into top-flight survival.
Five matchdays later, Varela has become the clearest attacking reference in that effort.
Varela Converts From the Spot to Give Monza Control
Jurić reacted to the opening goal by refreshing his side rather than asking them to protect the advantage.
Dany Mota, Foe Ondoa and Bakoune entered in a triple substitution, and the changes had an immediate effect.
Dany Mota attacked Sassuolo’s defensive line and was fouled inside the penalty area by Esposito in the 61st minute.
Varela took responsibility.
The striker sent Muric the wrong way from the spot in the 63rd minute and doubled Monza’s advantage.
His second goal took him to four in Serie A and six in all competitions this season, including his Coppa Italia contribution.
The value of the brace went beyond the numbers. Monza had spent much of August and September producing stretches of competitive football without the finishing needed to convert them into results.
Varela supplied both the breakthrough and the cushion.
Monza Keep Pushing Instead of Protecting 2-0
The period after the penalty offered perhaps the most encouraging part of the performance for Jurić.
Monza did not immediately retreat.
Foe Ondoa tried his luck from distance, while Birindelli later went close with a low effort across goal. The home side continued looking for a third rather than inviting Sassuolo to camp around their penalty area.
That mentality matters within the wider context of Serie A’s opening weeks. Several clubs have already been punished after surrendering control from winning positions. Lazio’s two-goal lead disappearing against Milan was one example covered in The Sports Encounter’s Matchday 4 Saturday roundup.
Monza did eventually come under pressure, but their willingness to keep attacking delayed Sassuolo’s push until the final stages.
Vasilije Adžić Gives Sassuolo a Route Back
Sassuolo’s response finally arrived in the 88th minute.
Adžić stood over a free kick in a dangerous central position and curled a superb right-footed effort beyond Törnqvist.
The goal was his third of the Serie A season and continued a productive early run for the Montenegrin attacker.
Sassuolo had entered the match with seven points from four games and far more early-season confidence than Monza. Alberto Aquilani’s team had even beaten Juventus 3-2 in their previous league outing, a setback that shaped Juventus’ emphatic response in The Sports Encounter’s Europa League victory over NEC.
Adžić’s free kick suddenly gave them enough time to threaten another dramatic finish.
Jonathan Bowie Comes Inches From 2-2
The biggest scare arrived in the third minute of stoppage time.
Adžić, now influencing the game from a creative position as well as through his goal, delivered a dangerous cross toward the penalty area.
Bowie climbed to meet it and directed his header toward goal.
The ball struck the post.
For Monza, it was the kind of moment that can feel much longer than it actually lasts. A first league win in more than a year was suddenly separated from another frustrating result by a few centimeters.
This time, the margin went their way.
Törnqvist gathered Sassuolo’s final attempt moments later and Monza saw out the remaining seconds.
Varela Is Becoming Central to Monza’s Survival Case
Monza’s four points from five matches do not transform their season overnight.
They do change its emotional direction.
The promoted side began with the heaviest defeat of Serie A’s opening weekend against Inter, lost 3-2 at home to Udinese, drew 1-1 at Parma and then lost another 3-2 match at Lecce.
There had been competitive passages throughout those games. The missing element was a complete result.
Varela has now supplied one.
Four league goals in five matchdays gives Monza a reliable finishing reference at a time when newly promoted teams often struggle to convert promising build-up play into enough goals.
His emergence also adds another individual storyline to a season that has already produced several unexpected early performers. The Sports Encounter’s Matchday 3 review captured how rapidly new players and promoted clubs have begun influencing the league table.
Sassuolo Miss a Chance to Build on the Juventus Win
Sassuolo arrived in Monza with seven points and a chance to move deeper into the upper half before the rest of Matchday 5.
They leave on the same total.
The defeat was particularly frustrating because their previous league result had shown what Aquilani’s team can produce when its attacking players find space and rhythm.
The issue against Monza was getting into that rhythm consistently.
Berardi had the early chance. Thorstvedt had another. Adžić scored late. Bowie hit the post.
There were enough moments to suggest Sassuolo could have taken something from the match, but the middle period belonged decisively to Monza.
Varela’s two goals created a deficit that Sassuolo could only start reducing in the closing minutes.
Their opening month has therefore become difficult to categorize. They lost narrowly to Atalanta, led twice in a 2-2 draw at Bologna, produced the major win over Juventus and have now fallen to a Monza side that had not won a league match all season.
That volatility fits the wider early-season picture described in The Sports Encounter’s analysis of Inter’s 5-3 comeback against Udinese, where Serie A’s opening month continued producing sharp swings within matches and between matchdays.
What Monza’s First Win Means for the Serie A Table
Monza began Friday in the relegation zone with one point from four matches.
The victory moved them to four points after five games and gave Jurić’s side breathing room before the rest of the weekend schedule.
Continue the Serie A Story
Sassuolo remain on seven points after five matches.
The table remains tightly compressed outside the early leaders, with several teams separated by only a few points. Como’s unbeaten start has been one of the strongest examples of how quickly early momentum can reshape expectations, most recently in The Sports Encounter’s report on Como’s 2-1 victory over Parma.
Monza are operating at the other end of the table, but the same principle applies. Three points can change the shape of an early survival battle very quickly.
Why the Timing of Monza’s Win Matters
Serie A now enters an extended international break.
For a team still searching for its first win, carrying another defeat through several weeks without league football could have amplified pressure around the squad and coach.
Instead, Jurić gets time to work with a victory behind him.
The psychological value should not be exaggerated, but the practical value is obvious. Monza now know that the attacking intensity seen in parts of their opening four games can produce a result if they combine it with better execution in both penalty areas.
Varela has given them goals. Törnqvist gave them saves. The defense survived the final assault.
For one evening, those pieces finally aligned.
What Comes Next for Monza and Sassuolo?
Monza return to Serie A after the international break with a difficult away match against Lazio on October 11.
Sassuolo resume on the same day when AC Milan visit the Mapei Stadium.
Those fixtures offer very different tests.
Monza will need to show that Friday’s intensity can travel against a Lazio side that began the season strongly. Sassuolo must respond against another opponent expected to compete near the upper end of the table.
For the broader Italian season, title race and relegation picture, The Sports Encounter’s complete Serie A 2026-27 preview provides the wider context behind the opening weeks.
Readers can also follow The Sports Encounter’s global soccer coverage for results, analysis and major developments from domestic and international competitions.
Monza vs Sassuolo FAQs
What was the Monza vs Sassuolo score?
Monza beat Sassuolo 2-1 at the U-Power Stadium on September 18, 2026.
Who scored for Monza against Sassuolo?
Gustavo Varela scored both Monza goals, heading in the opener in the 51st minute and converting a penalty in the 63rd.
Who scored for Sassuolo?
Vasilije Adžić scored from a free kick in the 88th minute.
Was this Monza’s first Serie A win of the season?
Yes. Monza entered Matchday 5 with one point from four matches and recorded their first league victory by beating Sassuolo.
When had Monza last won a Serie A match?
Monza’s previous Serie A victory came on May 11, 2025, making the win over Sassuolo their first in approximately 16 months.
When had Monza last won a Serie A home match?
The club’s previous home victory in Serie A came on January 13, 2025.
How many Serie A goals does Gustavo Varela have this season?
Varela moved to four league goals after his brace against Sassuolo.
How many points do Monza have?
Monza moved to four points from five Serie A matches following their first victory.
How many points do Sassuolo have?
Sassuolo remain on seven points from five matches.
Who do Monza and Sassuolo play next?
Monza visit Lazio on October 11, while Sassuolo host AC Milan on the same day after the international break.
