Torino 3-1 Palermo

Andrea Belotti produced yet another incredible performance in what has been a remarkable personal campaign so far by scoring an eight minute hat-trick in Sunday's 3-1 victory over Palermo.

Belotti and Iago Falque both went close in the early stages, but it was the away side who took a shock lead on the counter attack through Andrea Rispoli's long range effort.

Toro were struggling to find a breakthrough against a stubborn Palermo side, and Sinisa Mihajlovic introduced Adem Ljajic, Juan Iturbe and Maxi Lopez off the bench in search of an equaliser.

With seventeen minutes remaining Belotti scored his first of the evening as he headed home from a corner. Toro then took the lead three minutes later as Adem Ljajic's excellent free kick was volleyed in by the former Palermo striker.

Things got even worse for the away side as Hungarian winger Norbert Balogh was dismissed for a second yellow card. Belotti completed his hat-trick three minutes later, as once again Belotti headed home a corner which Rosanero keeper Josip Posavec once again came for, and failed to claim.

This was an important victory for Toro against a team in the bottom three, and Andrea Belotti once again showed his importance and is now the current Serie A Capocannoniere with 22 goals.

Forza Toro

Torino v Palermo Preview

Torino will be looking to complete their first league double of the season when they face Palermo at Stadio Grande Torino on Sunday afternoon.

Toro beat the Rosanero 4-1 in Sicily back in October, and a repeat of that scoreline would certainly lift the mood in the Granata camp after a disappointing few months. Captain Marco Benassi is suspended, so Samuel Gustafson or Afriyie Acquah should deputise, whilst fit again Luca Rossettini should replace error-prone Arlind Ajeti.

Palermo currently occupy the final relegation position and are seven points away from 17th placed Empoli. Whilst form has improved under coach Diego Lopez, they have lost three of their last four away games - although they did pick up a surprise point away to Napoli in January.

Prediction
Torino 3-1 Palermo

Palermo 1-4 Torino

Torino secured their first away win of the season as they recovered from conceding an early goal to beat Palermo 4-1 on Monday night.

The Granata made two changes from the team who beat Fiorentina before the international break as Adem Ljajic was preferred to Lucas Boyé on the left wing, and Daniele Baselli came in for Afriyie Acquah.

Toro made a bright start but were behind after only five minutes when Ivaylo Chochev headed home Alessandro Diamanti's excellent cross. However the away side equalised twenty minutes later when Iago Falque found Adem Ljajic in space, and the Serbian winger fired a shot into the top corner from just outside the area.

That goal meant gave the former Fiorentina man confidence, and he gave Torino the lead with another outstanding finish, this time from just inside the area as he curled the ball into the far corner.

On the stroke of half time, Toro added a third goal after good work from Mirko Valdifiori and Daniele Baselli allowed captain Marco Benassi to fire home.

Five minutes into the second half, Torino added a fourth goal to end the game as a contest when Iago Falque's cross found Daniele Baselli whose mis-kick crawled over the line.

Toro's intensity levels dropped towards the end of the second half which enabled the home side to have a few good chances, but even a late floodlight failure could not deny Toro a third consecutive victory.

Palermo v Torino Preview

Torino will look to make it three wins in a row when they travel to Sicily to face Palermo on Monday evening.

The Granata will be without the injured Lorenzo De Silvestri and Giuseppe Vives but Serbian winger Adem Ljajic is now fully fit.

Andrea Belotti is in excellent form and scored his first goal for Italy in Macedonia last week, and will be looking to continue that form against his former team.

Palermo have improved in recent weeks following the appointment of former Foggia coach Roberto De Zerbi, but have lost all three games at home this season.

Prediction
Palermo 0-1 Torino

Palermo 1-3 Torino

Torino recorded their first away victory since November as an inspired performance by Ciro Immobile lit up the Granata's Valentine's Day trip to Palermo.

Giampiero Ventura started with Bruno Peres and Davide Zappacosta on each wing for the first time this season, whilst Giuseppe Vives was preferred to Alessandro Gazzi in midfield.

Toro made the worst possible start and were behind within two minutes when Alberto Gilardino converted Michel Morganella's low cross.

However, Torino were level less than twenty minutes later when Ciro Immobile was upended in the area by Andrea Rispoli. Immobile stepped up to take it himself to take the penalty, and although Stefano Sorrentino went the right way, the former Dortmund man converted to equalise.

Andrea Belotti missed two great chances to score against his former team, although Toro did not have to wait long to take the lead. On the half hour mark, Bruno Peres' vicious cross was diverted into his own net by the unfortunate Giancarlo Gonzalez.

Substitute goalkeeper Fabrizio Alastra kept the home side in it, with second half saves from Marco Benassi and Ciro Immobile. However, with twenty minutes remaining, Immobile collected the ball on the left wing before driving into the box and finishing high into the roof of the net to seal an important win.

Palermo v Torino Preview

Torino will look to end their miserable recent run when they travel to Sicily to face Palermo on Sunday afternoon.

Former Palermo favourite Andrea Belotti will be looking to add to his impressive record of five goals in his last six games since the arrival of Ciro Immobile.

Immobile himself has only scored once, a penalty since signing on loan, and he will be looking to add to that tally in order to force himself into Italy's Euro 2016 squad.

Palermo have suffered an embarrassing week after it turned out that coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto did not have the requisite coaching badges, and has since been replaced by Giovanni Bosi.

The rosanero are currently only four points away from the bottom three, and will be looking for points quickly to ensure they are not dragged into a relegation battle.

Prediction
Palermo 1-1 Torino

Forza Toro!

Torino 2-1 Palermo

Torino maintained their 100% home record with a narrow victory over Palermo on Sunday afternoon, despite finishing the match with only nine men.

As expected, Maxi Lopez replaced Josef Martinez upfront, whilst Davide Zappacosta and Marco Benassi also came into the starting eleven.

Some neat footwork by Daniele Baselli in midfield put Fabio Quagliarella through on goal, but his shot was easily saved by former Toro keeper Stefano Sorrentino.

The away side were inches away from taking the lead through Aleksandar Trajkovski's thirty yard free kick which rattled off the crossbar.

Toro took the lead on the stroke of half time when Cristian Molinaro's low cross was deflected into his own net by Giancarlo Gonzalez under pressure from Lopez.

The Granata doubled their lead moments into the second half in sensational fashion when Maxi Lopez found Marco Benassi who scored a sensational Marco Van Basten-esque volley from a difficult angle.

The home side then found themselves reduced to ten men when Cristiano Molinaro received a second yellow card when he was penalised for pulling back Trajkovski. And Palermo ensured a nervy last twenty minutes when Giancarlo Gonzalez headed into the right net this time, as he converted Franco Vasquez's cross.

Torino were then reduced to nine men in injury time when substitute Joel Obi was given his marching orders for a rash foul on Vasquez. Toro were almost made to pay for that indiscipline in the dying seconds, but Aljaz Struna's hit the woodwork and Toro held on.

This was a great victory for Toro as they had to overcome adversity in order to claim the three points, and a win over Carpi would, temporarily at least, put the Granata top of Serie A.

Torino v Palermo Preview

Torino will have a chance to bounce back from Wednesday's disappointing to defeat against Chievo when they face Palermo on Sunday afternoon.

The Granata will be without Bruno Peres who has picked up a thigh injury so will be replaced by Davide Zappacosta at right wing back. Elsewhere, Marco Benassi and former Palermo man Andrea Belotti, who both came on against Chievo, could also come into the team.

Palermo won their first two games of the season but have not won any of their next three, their most recent game being a 1-0 home defeat by Sassuolo.

Prediction
Torino 2-1 Palermo

Palermo 2-2 Torino

Maxi Lopez had a late goal controversially ruled out as Torino followed up their derby victory with a well-earned point at Palermo.

Giampiero Ventura made six changes from the side that started against Juventus, as Cesare Bovo, Gaston Silva, Cristian Molinaro, Alexander Farnerud, Giuseppe Vives and Josef Martinez all came into the side.

The Granata made a poor start and were behind after only ten minutes when Roberto Vitiello stabbed home from close range following a corner. However, Palermo held the lead only temporarily as Bruno Peres equalised for Toro two minutes later with a fine finish from ten yards out.

Former Toro stopper Stefano Sorrentino had to turn a Josef Martinez half volley over the bar as Toro began to get into the game. But on twenty-five minutes, the home side re-gained the lead when Luca Rigoni was somehow left unmarked in the area to volley home.

It could have been worse for Torino, as just before half time, Siniša Andelkovic's bullet header rattled off the bar.

Omar El Kaddouri and Maxi Lopez both came off the bench as Toro looked for an equaliser, and the two combined instantly as the former's floating cross was turned in by the Argentine striker.

Paulo Dybala somehow missed an excellent chance for the Rosanero but the highly rated striker turned his effort wide of the post.

In the dying minutes, Toro thought they had found a winning goal as once again El Kaddouri found Maxi Lopez, who headed home, but the former Catania striker was harshly penalised for a foul on the defender.

This was a decent result by a Granata side still recovering from their exploits in the derby, and are now only two points away from the final Europa League place.

Forza Toro

Palermo v Torino Preview

Torino will look to build on their Derby Della Mole heroics when they travel to Palermo on Wednesday evening.

That victory over Juventus puts the Granata just two points away from Fiorentina in the final Europa League spot, and hopes of a second successive season of European football are still alive.

Emilano Moretti and Alessandro Gazzi will both miss the trip due to suspension, whilst Josef Martinez could replace Maxi Lopez after an impressive cameo in the derby.

Palermo have won two of their last three fixtures, but suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat against Parma last time out.

Prediction
Palermo 1-1 Torino

Torino v Palermo Preview

Torino will try and move on from their derby disappointment when they face Palermo at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday evening.

The Granata have lost their last three Serie A fixtures, and have not won a game in any competition since the end of October.

On the flip side, opponents Palermo are in decent form and are unbeaten in their last five games - winning three of them.

Palermo have a number of familiar faces in their squad, and goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino made 106 appearances for the Granata and is likely to get a warm reception from the home fans.

One player who will not get a welcome reception is experienced midfielder Enzo Maresca who angered Toro supporters by mocking Marco Ferrante's bull celebration after scoring for Juventus against the Granata in 2002.

Prediction
Torino 1-0 Palermo

Torino 0-0 Palermo

Torino's lack of firepower once again proved to be their downfall as they could only manage a goalless draw (their sixth of the season) against bottom of the table Palermo.

As expected, Guillermo Rodriguez came into the team in order to replace the suspended Angelo Ogbonna, whilst Matteo Brighi also came into the midfield to replace Alen Stevanovic.

Toro had an excellent lead to open the scoring in the opening stages, but after good interplay between Matteo Brighi and Alessio Cerci, the ball fell to Giuseppe Vives on the left wing - but the former Lecce man blazed his shot over the bar.

The Granata continued to look the more likely team to score, and were extremely unlucky when Rolando Bianchi's vicious volley rebounded off the post. Whilst Palermo were only creating half chances, they were were looking like a better side than their league position suggested. 

The Rosanero's Slovenian midfielder Josip Ilicic seemed to be responding to having the added responsibility of the captain's armband, but his left footed shot went well wide of the target. Substitute Fabrizio Miccoli sparked some more energy into the away team, and the former Fiorentina striker almost troubled Jean-Francois Gillet with an audacious chip, but it went over the bar. 

With ten minutes remaining, both teams seemed to think that the three points were there for the taking, and Torino substitute Danilo D'Ambrosio came agonisingly close to giving the Granata the lead. Alessio Cerci's corner was flicked on at the near post by Riccardo Meggiorini, but somehow D'Ambrosio failed to make contact with the ball from only two yards out.

And Torino had an even better chance moments later when a poor clearance by the Palermo defence gave Riccardo Meggiorini an outstanding opportunity, but his tame shot meant that former Granata keeper Stefano Sorrentino was able to deny him. 

Whilst a draw was probably a fair result, and it actually increased the gap between Torino and the bottom three to eleven points, Toro will look on this match as a missed opportunity in their quest to finish in the top half.

Forza Torino

Torino V Palermo Preview

After last weekend's dramatic ending against Cagliari, Torino will be hoping for a less eventful ninety minutes against bottom-of-the table Palermo on Sunday afternoon.

The Granata will be without Abou Diop and Angelo Ogbonna who are both suspended after being dismissed last Sunday, and the latter will almost certainly be replaced by the reliable Guillermo Rodriguez. Matteo Brighi and Danilo D'Ambrosio will also be looking for a recall to the starting eleven after missing out against Cagliari.

After drawing against Genoa last weekend, Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini has made his fourth managerial change of the season in an attempt to avoid an almost unthinkable relegation to Serie B. Despite initially being sacked in favour of Alberto Malesani, Gian Piero Gasperini has returned for his second spell in charge of the Rosanero, and he will be looking to secure Palermo's first victory since November against Toro on Sunday.

Prediction
Torino 1-1 Palermo

Palermo 0-0 Torino

Torino continued their unbeaten run away from the Stadio Olimpico, as they recorded their third goalless draw of the season at Palermo on Sunday afternoon.

The Granata lined up with an unfamiliar back four, as Matteo Darmian was suspended, Angelo Ogbonna was injured, and Kamil Glik was rested having been on international duty in mid week. That meant Uruguayan centre back Guillermo Rodríguez came in to make his debut, whilst Giuseppe Vives was brought in to reinforce the midfield.

The home side dominated the early exchanges, and Jean-Francois Gillet made two good saves to deny Slovenian midfielder Jasmin Kurtic from distance. Palermo continued to attempt long range shots, firstly from Edgar Barreto, and then from Josip Illicic's free kick, but once again the Belgian keeper produced two magnificent saves to stop the Rosanero taking the lead.

Just before half time, Torino almost took the lead themselves as good work from Riccardo Meggiorini and Alessandro Gazzi put Rolando Bianchi through on goal, but the Torino captain was denied by Samir Ujkani. At the other end, Palermo continued to create chances, and after Illicic's excellent through ball, Swiss full back Michel Morganella was one on one with Gillet, but once again the Belgian came out on top.

Torino were more positive in the second half, and had a great chance to open the scoring, but unfortunately Riccardo Meggiorini rushed his shot, and provided Ujkani with a simple save. With just three minutes of normal time remaining, Josip Illicic had an excellent opportunity to gain all three points for his team, but his shot was wildly off target.

In the end, a draw was probably a fair result, as a combination of poor finishing and outstanding goalkeeping meant that the game stayed goalless. However, Torino's lack of goals continues to be a worry, as they have only scored nine goals all season, five of which were in the same game against Atalanta.

Forza Torino

Palermo V Torino Preview

Torino return to league action on Sunday after an enforced two week break due to the international fixtures, and will make the long journey south to take on Palermo.

Argentinean winger Mario Santana was injured in the defeat against Cagliari, however fellow winger Valter Birsa has recovered from his injury and is available to make his debut. Defender Kamil Glik had a very eventful international break, as he scored Poland's equaliser against England - and after conceding two penalties in recent weeks, that goal will hopefully give him a much-needed confidence boost.

Palermo's notoriously impatient president Maurizio Zamparini has already made one managerial change this season as Giuseppe Sannino was sacked in favour of the more experienced Gian Piero Gasperini. That change in coach has made an immediate impact in terms of results, as the Rosanero have gained four points from his two games in charge, including an impressive 4-1 win against Chievo.

Striker Abel Hernández was injured on international duty with Uruguay and is out long term, however captain Fabrizio Miccoli is back in favour and should start upfront. Despite being 33, Miccoli scored a hat-trick in the aforementioned victory over Chievo, thus showing that his immense talent is still there.

Prediction
Palermo 2-1 Torino

Benussi joins Toro

Torino have acted to quickly to replace injured goalkeeper Ferdinando Coppola by signing Francesco Benussi on loan from Palermo.

Coppola was stretchered off in the 68th minute of Saturday's match against Cittadella after a collision with defender Valerio Di Cesare and Cittadella striker Robert Maah. It has since been revealed that Coppola has torn the cruciate ligament in his left knee and will be out for the rest of the season.

Therefore, after assessing the potential candidates, Torino have decided to sign former Lecce goalkeeper Francesco Benussi on loan from Palermo until the end of the season. Benussi has made seven appearances for the Rosanero this season, but recently lost his place to Emiliano Viviano after he joined the club from Inter.

Coppola has enjoyed mixed fortunes since joining Torino in the summer, as although he has been guilty of making a number of mistakes (especially against Gubbio) the experienced goalkeeper only conceded 13 goals in 22 appearances. Lets hope that Ferdinando makes a speedy recovery, and that Francesco can be an adequate replacement in Torino's quest for promotion.

Here is a short video of new keeper Francesco Benussi in action for Palermo -

Forza Torino