Belotti, Berenguer on the double as Torino beat ten-man Brescia

Andrea Belotti converted a pair of penalties with Alex Berenguer bagging another brace to get Torino back to winning ways with a 4-0 romp over ten-man Brescia on Saturday.

Torino snapped their six-match winless run and inflicted a first defeat on new Brescia coach Fabio Grosso whose side are second-last in the Serie A table.

Belotti got Torino off the mark after 17 minutes with a penalty awarded after a Simone Verdi free kick bounced off Brescia defender Andrea Cistana’s arm.

The second came on 26 minutes when Czech defender Ales Mateju was deemed to have used his arm to block a Belotti shot on goal after a VAR review.

Belotti again slotted in to bring his tally to seven Serie A goals this season. Brescia were reduced to ten men before the break when Mateju was sent off for a second yellow card for fouling Belotti.

A man down, Grosso substituted Brescia forward Mario Balotelli by defender Bruno Martella after the break.

Jesse Joronen denied Belotti a hat-trick before Berenguer broke through and fired past the Finnish keeper on 75 minutes.

And five minutes later Berenguer added a third when he picked up a Diego Laxalt cross to slot in his second goal this season.

Brescia, with a game in hand, fell to their fourth consecutive defeat with their winless run now stretching back seven games.

Torino’s first win since Septmber 26 puts them 11th with 14 points from 12 games.

Inter Milan and Napoli return to the Serie A fray after a disappointing week of Champions League football later on Saturday.

Antonio Conte’s Inter host Verona bidding to take top spot in Serie A from defending champion’s Juventus who are one point ahead.

Carlo Ancelotti’s Napoli look to get back winning after a series of setbacks, at home against Genoa. Napoli are seventh after a run of three league games without a victory.

Earleir, Sassuolo recorded its first home win since September as it beat Bologna 3-1 in Serie A on Friday.

Francesco Caputo scored in each half, and Jeremie Boga also netted for the hosts.

Sassuolo moved up to 11th, a point above Bologna, ahead of the rest of the weekend’s fixtures.

Sassuolo had won just one of its six matches - home and away - since its last victory at the Mapei Stadium on Sept. 22.

But Caputo gave it the lead in the 34th minute when he swept home Filip Djuricic’s scuffed overhead kick, seconds after Bologna goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski had denied Manuel Locatelli.

Boga doubled Sassuolo’s lead in the 68th, two minutes before Riccardo Orsolini reduced the deficit.

However, Caputo swiftly restored Sassuolo’s two-goal advantage with a fine solo effort.

Orsolini, who received a debut call-up to the Italy squad earlier Friday, thought he had pulled another goal back for Bologna but it was disallowed for offside.

Agencies