Milan keeps title race alive after edgy thriller
AC Milan increased the pressure on rival Inter Milan in the Serie A title race with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Torino, led by goals from Strahinja Pavlovic, Adrien Rabiot, and Youssouf Fofana.
With eight games left to play, Massimiliano Allegri's side cut the gap to leader Inter to five points ahead of the Nerazzurri's clash with Fiorentina on Monday (AEDT).
After Nikola Vlasic and Rafa Obrador both spurned early half-chances, Milan broke the deadlock thanks to a stunning strike from Pavlovic, whose 20-yard effort thundered off the underside of the crossbar before dropping into the net.
Torino responded just before half-time when Mike Maignan parried Vlasic's drive on to the post, with the rebound falling kindly for Giovanni Simeone to finish.
Roberto D'Aversa's side might have held hope of securing a result at the break, but Milan raced out of the blocks in the second half and soon restored its advantage.
Luka Modric's clever pass found Christian Pulisic inside the box, and he squared it to Rabiot for a tap-in at the back post nine minutes after the restart.
Just over one minute later, Fofana made it a two-goal advantage as he curled a delicate shot into the bottom right corner from the edge of the area, delighting the San Siro crowd.
A dramatic end saw Torino earn a penalty for its troubles as Simeone was dragged down by Pavlovic in the 82nd minute, with Vlasic softening the scoreline with a first-class spot-kick into the top-right corner.
