Home troubles for Torino

Torino returned to the Serie A last May after three years in Serie B.

Before the start of the season, club president Urbano Cairo gave a vote of confidence to coach Giampiero Ventura and the majority of the players who helped the club clinch promotion.

Alessio Cerci, formerly of Fiorentina, was the club’s top signing.

A 0-0 draw at Siena in the season’s curtain-raiser was followed by an impressive 3-0 win over fellow newcomers Pescara in what was a promising start for the Granata.

However, it was not long before the side’s frailties began to show in their home matches with Torino only gaining four points from their five outings in front of their fans.

This is in stark contrast to last season when a strong home record proved crucial to Torino’s promotion charge.

In 2011-12, Verona (4-1) were the only Serie B outfit to win at the Olympic Stadium. This season, Inter (0-2), Cagliari (0-1) and Parma (1-3) have already beaten Torino at home.

So far, only Pescara and Udinese (0-0) have failed to capitalise on Torino’s home woes.

On the road, Torino have fared much better, trouncing Atalanta 5-1 and taking a point from their trips to Siena, Sampdoria (1-1) and Palermo (0-0).

Remarkably, apart from leaders Juventus and Inter, Torino are the only top-division side still unbeaten away from home.

Torino’s away form will be firmly tested tonight when they travel to the capital to take on Lazio.

Vladimir Petkovic’s side will be without two key midfielders, Cristian Ledesma and Hernanes who were sent off in Lazio’s defeat at Fiorentina on Sunday.

For Torino, currently on the nine-point mark, Serie A survival is their main target. To achieve that, they desperately need to start collecting home points while maintaining their positive away form.

Torino are only two points above the drop zone and failure to improve their home record would leave them facing a mammoth task to avoid a bottom-three finish in the Serie A.

Ventura has urged the Torino fans not to put too much pressure on the players.

The fans should encourage the Torino players to give their best rather than criticise and jeer the team every time a mistake is committed.

Ventura knows only too well that, to sidestep relegation, Torino must collect at least 40 points. History has shown that teams that succeed in beating the drop usually gain around 25 points in the first round.

So far, Ventura has not found the ideal support striker to play alongside captain Rolando Bianchi. On Sunday, Ventura gave a chance to Gianluca Sansone, the club’s expensive signing from Serie B side Sassuolo.

The move didn’t reap the desired benefits as Sansone saw red and Torino conceded three late goals to go down to their first home defeat against Parma in almost a decade.

High-flying winger Cerci has also failed to shine so far and if Torino are to chart a way through safe waters, they badly need his inspiration.

Serie A statistics

1 win and three draws in a row have enabled Palermo to recover after a stuttering start. On Saturday, the Sicilians held on to a 0-0 draw at Siena – their second scoreless draw on the trot. This was Siena’s first positive result after three consecutive defeats, and the first draw between these two sides since May 2008 (2-2).

2 penalties were given last weekend. Mati Fernandez’s first-half effort hit the post but Fiorentina still overcame Lazio 2-0. Elsewhere, Antonio Di Natale completed Udinese’s strong comeback against Roma with an 88th-minute penalty. Of the 35 penalties given so far, 23 were scored. Seven players received marching orders.

4th straight home win for Milan against Genoa as the Rossoneri left it late to spoil Luigi Del Neri’s debut on the Genoa hot seat. For Milan this was their first success after a 1-1 draw with Parma and back-to-back defeats against Inter (0-1) and Lazio (2-3).

19 goals were scored on the ninth day: eight from the hosts and the remaining 11 from the visitors, who managed five wins. Total number of goals scored so far amount to 216. Di Natale (Udinese) and Lamela (Roma) grabbed a brace each. Toni (Fiorentina) and Sansone (Parma) came on as substitutes and scored.