Preview:Torino vs Modena - prediction, team news, lineups

Torino will kick off their 2025-26 campaign with a Coppa Italia tie on Monday evening, when they welcome Modena to Turin.

Both under new management, the first-round clash brings together two sides that finished 11th in their respective leagues last season.

Match preview

Finishing with just one win from their final nine matches, Torino tapered off towards the end of last term, missing out on a top-half place in Serie A.

Overtaken by big-spending Como, the Granata limped to the finish line, and a 2-0 home defeat to Roma proved to be Paolo Vanoli's last game in charge.

Vanoli's goal-shy side scored just once in their final five outings, so ex-Lazio boss Marco Baroni has been brought in to get more out of the squad.

While long-term target Giovanni Simeone has finally arrived - providing competition for Scotland striker Che Adams - Toro have also lost several players, including key midfielder Samuele Ricci to AC Milan.

Now, following back-to-back defeats at the end of pre-season - and ahead of next week's league opener away to Inter Milan - Baroni's men must avoid an upset in the cup.

Five-time Coppa Italia winners, Torino went out in the second round last season, while Modena nearly caused a shock before exiting in round one.

This time last year, the Emilian outfit were only eliminated on penalties by eventual Scudetto winners Napoli, so they will hope to push Toro all the way on Monday.

By contrast with their hosts, modest Modena have never come close to lifting the Coppa, having spent most of their time in Italy's lower leagues.

It was only three years ago that the Canarini finally returned to Serie B following bankruptcy, and they finished 11th last season - slightly closer to the relegation zone than the playoffs.

New coach Andrea Sottil - a former Torino player who recently had a tough spell in charge at Sampdoria - will start by facing two of his old clubs in the coming days.

Having tuned his team up with four straight wins at the end of pre-season, and ahead of next week's league opener against Samp in Genoa, Sottil must first lead Modena to Turin.

Torino pre-season form: D W L L L

Modena pre-season form: W W W W

Team News

Torino are still missing long-term absentees Perr Schuurs and Duvan Zapata, but the Colombian striker is closing in on a return later this month.

Summer signing Ardian Ismajli will not be back until September due to a thigh injury, but Marco Baroni can call upon fellow new boys Tino Anjorin, Zakaria Aboukhlal, Giovanni Simeone and Cyril Ngonge.

The latter pair have joined on loan from Napoli, while goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic went the other way. Toro also lost Samuele Ricci to Milan, so it remains to be seen who will partner Cesare Casadei in midfield.

Meanwhile, Modena's Torino loanee Alessandro Dellavalle hopes to meet his parent club despite struggling with a muscular injury; full-back Fabio Ponsi and winger Giuseppe Caso are set to miss out.

The visitors have made several buys in the transfer window, headlined by Venezia wide man Francesco Zampano, who is expected to start on Monday.

Former Sassuolo striker Gregoire Defrel and Portuguese forward Pedro Mendes should feature in the final third.

Torino possible starting lineup: Paleari; Pedersen, Maripan, Coco, Biraghi; Casadei, Ilic; Ngonge, Vlasic, Aboukhlal; Simeone

Modena possible starting lineup: Gagno; Beyuku, Dellavalle, Cauz; Zampano, Magnino, Santoro, Gerli, Cotali; Mendes, Defrel