Simeone and Pedersen sign the comeback: Torino folds Sassuolo
The thirty-sixth day of the Serie A championship began with Torino’s 2-1 success over Sassuolo. Both quiet in terms of the standings, the two teams produced a lively match, animated already in a goalless first half before breaking through in the second half. The three points allow Toro to momentarily climb back up to 12th place with 44 points, overtaking Parma, while the neroverdi remain at 49 and could be undermined by Udinese if the Friulians were to defeat Cagliari on Saturday afternoon.
The match at the Olimpico Grande Torino was intense from the start: at 12′ the hosts hit the crossbar with a header by Njie, three minutes later it was the guests who made themselves dangerous with Pinamonti, who wasted an excellent chance from a good position. The teams coached by Roberto D’Aversa and Fabio Grosso both play to win, but the first half closes without goals.
In the early stages of the resumption everything changes: Lipani saves the ball from leaving the field and puts in the middle precisely, Thorstvedt ventures on the ball and scores for 1-0 Sassuolo. Double change for both in the following minutes: at 59′, for Torino, Pedersen and Zapata enter in place of Lazaro and Njie, four minutes later Koné and Berardi enter for Lipani and Volpato.
Toro sought the equalizer vehemently: at 62′ Simeone hit the crossbar, at 66′ the same Cholito broke free of Muharemovic’s marking, headed in Ebosse’s cross and beat Muric for 1-1. On the wings of enthusiasm, the Granata (for whom in the meantime Ilkhan takes over from Prati) complete the comeback in 71′ with the ex of the evening, Pedersen: this time the right cross is from Zapata, the Norwegian takes the time from the opponent defenders and heads in the 2-1 goal.
Grosso tries everything to avoid the first defeat after three useful results in a row: at 75′ Garcia and Nzola enter for Doige Pinamonti, at 84′ Bakola takes over Matic. On the other side D’Aversa responds at 86′ with the entries of Kulenovic and Nkounkou for Simeone and Obrador. Intense final, Thorstvedt on one side, Nkounkou and Gineitis (cautioned, he will miss Cagliari-Torino) on the other side are cautioned: the result however does not change anymore, Torino wins 2-1.
