Alexander Farnerud and Ciro Immobile spared Giampiero Ventura's blushes with two second-half goals to keep Torino in the hunt for a European place. For a long time, it looked like Gonzalo Bergessio's early strike was enough to give Catania a much needed victory, but their winless streak extends to eight games and Rolando Maran's side is now four points adrift of 19th placed Sassuolo and seven points from safety.
Catania vs Torino, final score 1-2: Catania slide closer to Serie B
Torino came from behind to defeat bottom club Catania 2-1 at the Stadio Angelo Massimino. Only a miracle can keep the Sicilians from dropping into Serie B.
It took the basement club just two minutes to hit the front. Jaroslav Plasil dispossessed Omar El Kaddouri then laid off for Pablo Barrientos, whose through ball unlocked the Torino defense. Bergessio ran onto the pass and lifted the ball over Daniele Padelli into the far corner.
Torino naturally looked toward Alessio Cerci and Immobile for an attacking threat. Cerci saw two early efforts blocked from outside the box. When the winger did escape the Sicilian defense to latch onto Immobile's through ball, an offside flag came to Catania's rescue.
Immobile headed over from a Cerci free kick, while at the other end, Francesco Lodi put too much curl on his set play and no teammate could get on the end of the midfielder's delivery.
Jasmin Kurtic was forced off with an injury on 33 minutes. Fabian Monzon had a chance to double Catania’s lead, but sent his effort high and wide. The defender then played Bergessio through, but the frontman squandered his chance by rolling wide of the post.
Gino Peruzzi was withdrawn by Maran, as the defender risked a second yellow card from a couple of wild challenges. Torino had a goal chalked off in first half stoppage time. Nikola Maksimovic found the net, however, play was called back due to a push by Cerci in the build-up.
Torino dominated much of the second half. Mariano Andujar got down to save Immobile's header, before Alexis Rolin picked the frontman's pocket when he was sent clear. Andujar saved with his legs to stop Kamil Glik turning in a corner, while Emiliano Moretti hooked a second corner into Andujar's gloves.
Catania could only muster a wild Bergessio shot on the hour mark, which flew into the stands. Midway through the second half, Cerci knocked the ball past Rolin and went on a mazy run, only to fire weakly at Andujar. Catania then lost another defender when Rolin went off injured.
Torino had a second goal chalked off on 78 minutes. Cerci cushioned a header for Riccardo Meggiorini to blast in, but play was called back due to Cerci being in an offside position. It didn't matter, as less than a minute later the Granata did grab a deserved equaliser. El Kaddouri picked out Farnerud to fire a low shot past Andujar from 12 yards.
Catania were deflated and Torino scored a winner four minutes later. Meggiorini headed on El Kaddouri’s pass into Immobile’s path and the striker squeezed a shot past Andujar at the near post for his 18th goal of the season.
In the final minutes, Glik deflected a dangerous Bergessio cross wide and Padelli pulled off a smart stop to keep out Mariano Izco’s bullet of a header. It was too little too late for Catania, who were whistled off by their disgruntled fans at full time.
Catania: Andujar, Bellusci, Monzon, Peruzzi, (Biraghi 42) Rolin, (Spolli 69) Gyomber, Plasil, Izco, Barrientos, (Castro 78) Lodi, Bergessio
Goals: Bergessio 2
Torino: Padelli, Moretti, Bovo, Darmian, Glik, Maksimovic, (Meggiorini 65) Cerci, (Basha 89) El Kaddouri, Tachtsidis, Kurtic, (Farnerud 33) Immobile
Goals: Farnerud 79, Immobile 83
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