Torino found their golden moment in midfielder Sandro Kulenovic, transforming a player considered marginal into a real alternative to the starters. The Croatian, who started the season with the feeling of being at the bottom of the hierarchy after being bought out by Dinamo Zagreb in January, proved to be a "killer in front of goal" thanks to two decisive goals against Bologna and Udinese.
Over the summer, the club had underestimated Kulenovic, who had already demonstrated a good sense of goal during Torino's training camp, scoring seven goals in various competitions. Despite his position in the transfer market, the player continued to play and began to climb the ranks, becoming the first alternative to the starters. His goals have often been the result of mistakes by opposing goalkeepers, such as Skorupski at Dall'Ara and the unfortunate exit of Udinese's Okoye, but Kulenovic has always been in the right place at the right time.
Scoring a goal every 42 minutes, Kulenovic holds the best minutes/goals ratio in all of Serie A, even surpassing Roma's top scorer Donyell Malen. His goal average could be even more impressive if he hadn't dropped a point against Friuli.
Kulenovic's new role under Abate's leadership was a real surprise. In the second half of last season, the player only scored in the Italian Cup defeat against Inter, remaining without a goal in the league. However, Abate decided to take advantage of the player's current form and enthusiasm, taking him increasingly into consideration.
The club are also awaiting tests for Ilkhan, who has been ruled out due to a hamstring problem, and it seems clear that if Kulenovic continues to play at this level his name will no longer feature among the possible starters in January. The player's future in Turin therefore seems very promising, with the possibility of becoming a key element of the attacking department.