Belotti brace piles pressure on AC Milan
AC Milan failed to bounce back from its derby defeat to Inter, as Andrea Belotti's late brace secured Torino a 2-1 win on Friday (AEST).
Milan coach Marco Giampaolo was left fielding questions about whether he felt "at risk" of the sack after the Inter loss, and his side's inability to hold on to its lead in Turin will likely increase the uncertainty after just two wins from five in Serie A.
The visitor began the entertaining contest well enough and were good value for the lead when Krzysztof Piatek dispatched a first-half penalty, but they were made to rue not adding to that.
Belotti levelled for a resurgent Torino deep into the second half and then got the winner four minutes later, with goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma failing to cover himself in glory for either.
Milan's start gave every indication the breakthrough would come from them and they opened the scoring 18 minutes in – Piatek coolly converting from 12 yards after Lorenzo De Silvestri nudged over Rafael Leao in the box.
Torino twice had to rely on Salvatore Sirigu to remain only one behind shortly after, the goalkeeper tipping Leao's looping header over before stopping Hakan Calhanoglu's long-range effort.
Donnarumma's decision to charge out of his box just before the interval allowed Torino the chance to level, but Belotti shot over the open goal.
Piatek nearly took full advantage early in the second half when steering agonisingly wide from 10 yards, though Torino soon became the more threatening side.
Torino's pressure eventually told 18 minutes from time, as Belotti cut in from the left and unleashed a fierce drive that found the net despite Donnarumma getting a hand to it.
Belotti completed the turnaround a few moments later, inadvertently flicking the ball up for himself and then acrobatically netting from close range after Simone Zaza's effort was parried by Donnarumma.
Milan twice might have equalised in stoppage time, but Franck Kessie inexplicably blazed over from six yards, before Sirigu pulled off a point-blank save to keep out Piatek's header.