Milan face tough Torino test as Serie A title race hots up

Milan: The Serie A title race is set for further twists and turns this weekend with leader AC Milan facing a tough trip to Torino as ti looks to bounce back from Monday's slip-up at home to Bologna.

Milan have led Serie A since mid-February as it chases its first Scudetto since 2011 thanks to an unbeaten run of nine league games.

However, its performance levels has dropped recently and Stefano Pioli's side were unconvincing in successive 1-0 wins over Empoli and Cagliari before the visit of Bologna, which ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

That allowed second-placed Napoli to close to within a point of Milan, and champions Inter are three further back after their impressive 1-0 win at Juventus.

"We were unable to find that little moment, the twist, the shot that could change it. We did everything else," Pioli said. "I totally exclude the idea we felt the pressure psychologically (after wins by Inter and Napoli). The team played with the right character, temperament and mentality, even with quality up until the final third."

Milan has none of the current top five left to play this season, but Sunday's trip to Turin will not be easy, given Torino held champion Inter last month.

Doubts over Inter's ability to defend their Serie A crown surfaced in the last month, but the hard-fought victory over Juve proved they still have the stomach for the fight. They host Hellas Verona at San Siro on Saturday.

Napoli will not go away either and last week's impressive 3-1 win over Atalanta was achieved without top scorer Victor Osimhen who is likely to return when Luciano Spalletti's men welcome Fiorentina to Naples on Sunday.

Juventus were unbeaten in Serie A since November before the Inter loss - a match it could have easily won given the amount of chances they created.

Coach Massimiliano Allegri insisted the defeat, which left Juve eight points adrift of Milan with seven games to play, ruled Serie A's most successful side out of the title race.

Victory at Cagliari on Saturday, however, would at least put some pressure on their rivals.

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