Still no three cheers
Belotti shines again but Torino still can’t beat Milan
TURIN: Italy forward Andrea Belotti has three goals in three matches against AC Milan this season but his Torino club still can’t beat the Rossoneri.
Milan came back from two goals down to draw at Torino 2-2 in Serie A on Monday, four days after eliminating the “Granata” from the Italian Cup.
Belotti and Marco Benassi put Torino ahead 2-0 at half-time but Andrea Bertolacci and Carlos Bacca responded for Milan.
Milan, who have a game in hand, remained fifth, three points behind Lazio while Torino dropped to ninth, seven points further back.
Torino coach Sinisa Mihajlovic smashed an interview backdrop as he walked off the pitch.
“I’m not angry, I’m furious and very disappointed because we continue to throw away points and waste chances,” said Mihajlovic, who coached Milan last season.
“It’s crazy to draw this match. We made the same mistakes we made in the Italian Cup.
“We went up by two goals, we narrowly missed a third and then in the second half we didn’t play for 20 minutes.”
Midway through the first half, Belotti stuck his boot out to redirect in a shot from Adem Ljajic.
Belotti also scored when Milan beat Torino 3-2 on the opening weekend of Serie A in August – when he had an injury-time penalty saved by Milan teenage goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma – and got the opener in the 2-1 loss at the San Siro last week.
Five minutes after Belotti’s goal, Benassi scored with his backheel redirecting a cross from Iago Falque.
Torino had a golden chance to take a 3-0 lead when Antonio Barreca earned a penalty after a foul by Ignazio Abate but Adem Ljajic’s spot kick went directly at Donnarumma in the centre of the goal.
Just like last week’s match, Torino dominated the first half then ceded control to Milan.
Ten minutes after the break, Bertolacci scored his first of the season from close range with the help of goal-line technology.
Near the hour mark Luca Rossettini used his arm to push Milan defender Gabriel Paletta to the ground drawing a penalty that Bacca drilled into the top right corner.
It was Bacca’s fourth goal in two league matches against Torino this season having scored a hat-trick during the victory in August.
Milan ended with 10 men when Alessio Romagnoli picked up his second yellow for a foul on Belotti in the 89th minute. — AP