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

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

Milan have led Serie A since mid-February as they chase their first Scudetto since 2011 thanks to an unbeaten run of nine league games.

However, their performance levels have 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 have none of the current top five left to play this season, but Sunday's trip to Turin will not be easy, given Torino held champions 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 they could have easily won given the