Torino and Inter closed out the Serie A weekend with a spectacular 3-3 draw at the Stadio Olimpico in Turin on Sunday night.
Torino took the lead through new signing Alexander Farnerud only for Fredy Guarin to level the score just before the halftime whistle. The home side regained the lead after substitute Ciro Immobile pounced on a blocked shot by Alessio Cerci, however, they soon lost it thanks to a Rodrigo Palacio double. Il Toro drew level after Nicola Bellomo’s looping freekick from the left found the far post in the final moments of the match.
The match got off to an exciting start within the first five minutes. First, Cerci hit the post after only two minutes from a left footed drive after a cross by Giovanni Pasquale.
A few minutes after that, Samir Handanovic was sent off for dragging Cerci down in the box while giving the Granata an early penalty. Substitute Juan Pablo Carrizo, who came on for attacking midfielder Mateo Kovacic, promptly saved Cerci’s effort and kept the match scoreless.
Carrizo was called upon again in the 10th minute, making a fine save on Danilo D’Ambrosio’s left footed shot after a mazey run by Cerci.
However, Inter were able to break on the counter and nearly scored in the 16th minute when Taider put his effort from in close over the cross bar. After the miss, Inter were able to wrest control of the match in a fairly even match.
Torino broke the deadlock 21 minutes in via Farnerud. The Swede capped off a wonderful move that included a dinked ball by Cerci which deflected off the top of the head of an Inter defender, and finally finding the foot of Farnerud.
Inter had a couple opportunities to level things through set pieces, however, they were unable to capitalise.
Guarin levelled the score for away side off a corner kick in the second minute of first half stoppage time. The Colombian scored a fantastic overhead kick after the ball had initially been headed in the air by Andrea Ranocchia after Toro keeper Daniele Padelli failed to clear the area.
Early in the second half, Immobile could have put the Granata in the lead after latching onto a low cross by Pasquale but the former Juventus youth player scooped his effort over.
Nevertheless, Immobile bounced back quickly, putting Torino in the lead with an excellent shot from outside the area in the 53rd minute after pouncing onto Cerci’s deflected shot and sending it past a helpless Carrizo.
Two minutes later Inter drew level again after another error by Padelli as he allowed Palacio to head into an open goal after yet another poor clearance attempt. Both sides soon made an effort to try and win the match, with the Nerazzurri bringing on Ishak Belfodil for midfielder Taider.
Palacio scored his second of the night in the 71st minute to give Inter their first lead of the match. Substitute Belfodil took the ball down the right hand side and sent in a low cross into the area, which Palacio dutifully turned in to give the away side a shock 3-2 advantage.
The final ten minutes saw Inter sit on their lead as Torino chased the match, hoping to nab a late equaliser, and their persistence paid off in the 90th minute when Bellomo’s freekick flew over Carrizo’s head and into the far post, salvaging a point for the home side in a thrilling encounter.
