Monza thrash Cagliari 4-0 as Varela double ends Isolani's unbeaten run
Varela double sinks Cagliari at the U-Power Stadium
Monza ended Cagliari's four-game unbeaten run with a comfortable 4-0 win at the U-Power Stadium, with Gustavo Varela scoring twice and Noel Törnqvist keeping the Brianzoli's first clean sheet of the season.
Ivan Juric's side arrived on four points after a 3-1 defeat at Lazio and were without the suspended Lorenzo Lucchesi, so Saba Goglichidze came into the back three. Cagliari also lacked Fabio Pisacane, who was suspended after his row with Luciano Spalletti, so assistant Giacomo Murelli led the team from the bench. Mattia Felici, Riyad Idrissi and Yael Trepy were unavailable, and M'Bala Nzola partnered Paul Mendy up front.
Kouadio breaks the deadlock
Early chances were few. Samuele Birindelli bent an effort narrowly wide from the edge of the box, and Zé Pedro headed off target from a Cagliari corner. Elia Caprile then got down well to keep out a low shot from Dany Mota heading for the bottom corner.
At the other end, Törnqvist dived to deny Nzola after a Mendy through ball and then saved from Mendy himself. Monza went ahead on the break in the 39th minute, when Mota slipped a pass through for centre-back Eddy Kouadio, who finished low from close range.
Monza clinical after the restart
The lead doubled within two minutes of the restart. Foe Ondoa laid the ball off to Varela, and he fired across Caprile into the bottom-left corner.
Cagliari pushed for a way back. Mendy headed wide from a corner, and Törnqvist produced an outstanding stop to claw away Yerry Mina's header towards the near post. But Monza struck again on 66 minutes: Varela turned provider for Jay Robinson, who curled a superb shot from the edge of the area into the bottom-right corner.
Mendy somehow missed from close range after Alieu Fadera's cross, substitute Andrea Colpani hit the left post and Mina nodded another header narrowly wide. Cagliari were made to pay for those misses when Varela added his second in the 79th minute. Robinson broke clear and hit the right post, and the Uruguayan was on hand to tap in the rebound.
Törnqvist seals the clean sheet
Törnqvist made sure of the clean sheet with two late saves to deny substitute Kevin Carlos, completing a emphatic afternoon for Monza.
Monza 4-0 Cagliari
Scorers: Kouadio 39 (assist: Mota), Varela 47 and 79 (assist: Ondoa; Robinson), Robinson 66 (assist: Varela)
Context: Monza were beaten 3-1 by Lazio on 11 October 2026 in a result reported by The Guardian, a match which had Lazio level with Inter at the top of Serie A.