Paulo Fonseca acknowledges "there is a lot that needs to be improved" at AC Milan, following their 2-2 draw with Torino on the opening day of the Serie A season.

The Portuguese looked like he would suffer defeat in his first match in charge of the Rossoneri, who trailed 2-0 in the 89th minute at San Siro after a Malick Thiaw own goal and Duvan Zapata header.

However, Alvaro Morata gave the hosts hope when he deflected in Tijjani Reijnders' long-range effort, before Noah Okafor's last-gasp volley ensured a share of the spoils.

And though Milan's blushes were spared, Fonseca feels their overall performance demonstrated the need for vast improvement.

"I did not expect before the game that we would be perfect at this stage, but I must say our first 45 minutes was not good," he told Sky Sport Italia.

"We know what these games are like, we must continue working, because there is a lot that needs to be improved.

"I think it is a collective issue, it's not just about the defenders. In the first half, we weren't pressing high and that made it easier for Torino to attack us.

"The second half was different. We were more aggressive, won the ball back earlier and had enough opportunities to win the match."

Morata, who scored on his competitive debut for Milan, concurred with Fonseca that his new employers' start of the season was not good enough, though the Spain skipper also focused on the positives.

"It is not a great debut because we didn't win, and we wanted to send a message," he said. 

"I think we still sent a message, because the team was practically dead, and we still turned it around. If there had been another five minutes to play, we would've won it."

Alvaro Morata and Noah Okafor scored in the dying stages for Milan as they salvaged a 2-2 draw in their Serie A opener against Torino on Saturday.

The visitors were moments away from a memorable victory at San Siro thanks to a Malick Thiaw own goal and a header from Duvan Zapata, only for Milan to fight back with goals in the 89th and 95th minutes. 

The visitors took the lead on the half-hour mark when Raoul Bellanova's header hit the post and Thiaw’s attempted clearance ended in an own goal.

Torino then doubled their advantage in the 68th minute with Zapata heading in Valentino Lazaro's cross from close range.

With the clock about to tick into stoppage time, Morata gave Paulo Fonseca's side hope by deflecting Tijjani Reijnders' long-range shot into the net.

Milan then launched a frantic final push for a leveller and Okafor smashed in a volley deep into stoppage time to spare their blushes.

Data Debrief: Stuttering start for Rossoneri

While Fonseca avoided a humiliating defeat in his first competitive game in charge of Milan, some lax defending ensured his reign would not start with a victory.

This is the first time Milan have started a Serie A campaign with a draw since 2011-12, when they drew 2-2 with Lazio under Massimiliano Allegri. 

They went on to finish second to Juventus that season, but improvements will be required if they are to push for a 20th Scudetto in 2024-25.

Paulo Fonseca is happy with Milan's acquisitions in the transfer window but warns that players will be leaving the club as they begin their Serie A campaign at home to Torino on Saturday.

The new Portuguese coach confirmed the signing of French midfielder Youssouf Fofana from Monaco is nearly complete, with no other recruitment planned.

He would join striker Alvaro Morata, and defenders Emerson Royal and Strahinja Pavlovic, who signed for Milan earlier in the window.

"After his [Fofana's] arrival, our incomings will be completed, we will need to focus on outgoings," Fonseca told reporters on Friday.

"Some players must leave now. We have many, and it's not easy to work with a lot of players.

"We work and play to aim for the top, we cannot say that we are ahead of everyone to win the league, but we want to be fighting for the Scudetto.

"Inter are reigning champions, we know their level. Juventus, Napoli and Atalanta, apart from ourselves, also have the right things to compete."

Fonseca has only been Milan's coach for two months but has overseen an unbeaten pre-season in that time, and he is pleased with how his players have adapted to his methods.

"I came to Milan at the right moment in my career," he added. "The feeling is very positive, right from the first day, we have already improved more than I expected.

"We are expecting a different and more complex game than those we have played in pre-season. We want to show our identity from the very first game."

Paulo Fonseca is happy with AC Milan's acquisitions in the transfer window but warns that players will be leaving the club as they begin their Serie A campaign at home to Torino on Saturday.

The new Portuguese coach confirmed the signing of French midfielder Youssouf Fofana from Monaco is nearly complete, with no other recruitment planned.

He would join striker Alvaro Morata, and defenders Emerson Royal and Strahinja Pavlovic, who signed for Milan earlier in the window.

"After his [Fofana's] arrival, our incomings will be completed, we will need to focus on outgoings," Fonseca told reporters on Friday.

"Some players must leave now. We have many, and it's not easy to work with a lot of players.

"We work and play to aim for the top, we cannot say that we are ahead of everyone to win the league, but we want to be fighting for the Scudetto.

"Inter are reigning champions, we know their level. Juventus, Napoli and Atalanta, apart from ourselves, also have the right things to compete."

Fonseca has only been Milan's coach for two months but has overseen an unbeaten pre-season in that time, and he is pleased with how his players have adapted to his methods.

"I came to Milan at the right moment in my career," he added. "The feeling is very positive, right from the first day, we have already improved more than I expected.

"We are expecting a different and more complex game than those we have played in pre-season. We want to show our identity from the very first game."

Che Adams has joined Torino on a free transfer after leaving Southampton.

The striker has signed a three-year contract with Torino, who finished ninth in Serie A last season.

Adams joined Southampton from Birmingham City in 2019, making 191 appearances and scoring 48 goals in all competitions for the Saints.

He netted 16 of those last season in the Championship as he helped them secure promotion back to the Premier League via a play-off final victory over Leeds United.

The 28-year-old was offered a new deal by Southampton ahead of their return to the top-flight, while Wolves were interested in gaining his signature.

He is the third signing for Torino this transfer window, following Adam Masina and Saul Coco into the club.

Stefano Pioli has reminded critics of how things have improved for Milan since he took over five years ago amid speculation about his job.

Milan suffered a 3-1 defeat to Torino on Saturday, meaning they have won just one of their last eight games in all competitions.

Pioli, who led the Rossoneri to the Scudetto in 2022, is under contract until 2025 but has come under increasing pressure in recent weeks despite securing second place.

However, Milan currently sit 18 points behind rivals Inter, who secured the league title after their derby win in April, and exited the Europa League after a 3-1 aggregate defeat to Roma in the quarter-final.

"Over these years, we raised everyone's expectations and now people act like second place is suddenly shoddy," Pioli told DAZN. "You know full well that is not the case. Only one team can win.

"It was a good season; we were the best of the 'normal' teams behind an Inter side who did something extraordinary.

"Our regrets are in the Champions League and Europa League, but that's what those tournaments are like, if you don't take your chance in that moment, you can go out.

"I arrived with Milan in one situation, and I leave – if I leave – with Milan in quite another. The rest is just lots of talk and not much content."

Meanwhile, Ivan Juric says he intends to leave Torino when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Since taking over in 2021, Juric has led Torino to two top-half finishes and looks to do so again with the club currently sitting in ninth and in contention for a European place.

Despite a successful spell in charge, Juric says there is no reason to stay, even if they finish in the top eight.

"No, there simply aren’t the right conditions to continue here," he told Sky Sports Italia. "I would like more joy and there isn't joy here.

"You try to change things, but after a while, you realise it’s pointless. It was right for us to try to go for Europe, we had a fantastic three years."

Milan will finish their season at home to already-relegated Salernitana, while Torino travel to Atalanta on May 26.

Milan suffered a disappointing 3-1 defeat at mid-table Torino in Serie A on Saturday after being punished for a slow first-half performance.

Torino dominated the first 45 minutes, scoring with two headers; Duvan Zapata picked out the bottom corner after 26 minutes before Ivan Ilic doubled their advantage by throwing himself onto Raoul Bellanova's cross before the break.

Former Milan player Ricardo Rodriguez needed only 18 seconds in the second half to unleash a fierce left-foot shot from distance into the top corner of the net for Torino's third.

Ismael Bennacer converted a penalty for Milan in the 55th minute after a foul on Christian Pulisic, but the visitors, seemingly focused on their final match against relegated Salernitana, never threatened to get back into the game.

Torino are ninth in the standings on 53 points, while Milan will finish second in the standings behind local rivals Inter.

Data Debrief: Home comforts

Torino have lost just two of their home games in Serie A this season, finishing on a high against second-place Milan in what is possibly Ivan Juric's final game in charge. 

Zapata proved an influential figure for Torino once more, and has scored the joint-most headed goals in the top five European league this season: eight (level with Harry Kane).

Hakan Calhanoglu scored twice to give newly-crowned Serie A champions Inter a comfortable 2-0 win over 10-man Torino on Sunday, extending their unbeaten league run to 28 games.

It was a party atmosphere at the San Siro with confetti and fireworks before kick-off as the Inter fans continued to celebrate the Scudetto title they secured on Monday with a 2-1 derby win over Milan.

Inter's win over Torino moves them onto 89 points, 19 clear of Milan with four games remaining.

The Torino players gave Inter a guard of honour as they entered the pitch and Inter coach Simone Inzaghi answered the crowd's call for him to celebrate with them.

In the first Serie A game to be officiated by an all-female refereeing team, four minutes after half-time Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi sent off Torino's Adrien Tameze for a foul on Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Inter made the breakthrough seven minutes later when Mkhitaryan passed to Calhanoglu in the area who drove a shot into the bottom corner.

Calhanoglu converted a penalty four minutes later after a foul on Marcus Thuram and the party will continue into the evening as the Inter players parade through the streets of Milan on open-top buses.

Torino remain 10th in the standings on 46 points.

Juventus’ poor run in Serie A extended to just two wins in 11 games as they were held to a disappointing 0-0 draw away at city rivals Torino.

Massimiliano Allegri’s side, who were top of the league when they beat Lecce on January 21 but who now trail leaders Inter Milan by 19 points having played a game more, failed to break down their mid-table opponents as their astonishing collapse in form dragged on into another week.

It was the third game in four in the league in which they have failed to score and leaves them vulnerable to being caught in the race to qualify for the Champions League, with fifth-place Roma able to cut the gap on them to five points should they win their game in hand.

Dusan Vlahovic had Juve’s clearest chances of the first half, first when he knocked Federico Chiesa’s cross against a post, then again when he was foiled by Vanja Milinkovic-Savic in the Torino goal.

The goalkeeper was called on again to deny the visitors, diving at full stretch to keep out a firm low effort from Kenan Yildiz.

Duvan Zapata thought he had given Torino the lead when he crashed the ball home shortly after half-time, only for his effort to be ruled out for a foul committed by Raoul Bellanova against Juve’s Filip Kostic.

Antonio Sanabria rose highest to meet Bellanova’s cross midway through the second half, drawing a good save from Wojciech Szczesny as Torino threatened.

The hosts might have made it a truly disastrous night for Allegri when Karol Linetty’s ball in was turned over the crossbar by Valentino Lazaro, who seemed to make contact with the ball with his neck with the goal gaping.

It concluded a frustrating encounter for Juve, and came in stark contrast to the comfortable 2-0 win they enjoyed in the derby back in October, when the team were in the early stages of what looked a credible title challenge.

It leaves Allegri’s side in a fight to ensure they do not miss out on the Champions League for a second consecutive season.

They still have the possible consolation of the Coppa Italia to aim for, and play the second leg of their semi-final away to Lazio on April 23 looking to defend a 2-0 aggregate lead.

Napoli’s dismal season continued as they succumbed to a seventh defeat of the season in Serie A, losing 3-0 at Torino.

Antonio Sanabria, Nikola Vlasic and Alessandro Buongiorno got the goals as Walter Mazzarri’s defending champions had another miserable afternoon.

A dismal afternoon for the visitors was compounded by the 50th-minute dismissal of Naples-born wing-back Pasquale Mazzocchi, less than three minutes into his debut.

They are now winless and without a goal in four matches and lie 20 points behind leaders Inter Milan.

Napoli had a 20-3 aggregate goal advantage in the last eight meetings of these two teams in Turin, winning seven and drawing the other.

However, it was destined to be the hosts’ day from the moment Sanabria broke the deadlock two minutes before half-time.

Duvan Zapata flicked an Ivan Ilic free-kick on for the Paraguay international, who tucked the ball away left-footed from six yards.

Napoli’s hopes of getting back into the contest were killed off as they made a sloppy start to the second half.

Zapata had already forced Pierluigi Gollini into a save at his near post less than two minutes after the restart when the visitors were reduced to 10 men.

Mazzocchi, a half-time substitute for Piotr Zielinski, had been on the pitch for  three minutes when he received a yellow card for a high, reckless challenge on Valentino Lazaro. However, referee Maurizio Mariani then decided to dismiss the 28-year-old Napoli debutant, following VAR intervention.

Torino soon doubled their advantage, Vlasic beating Gollini with a well-placed low right-footed shot into the corner two minutes later.

Sanabria hit the post from eight yards and Zapata failed to tuck the rebound away from close range, with Gollini blocking with his foot then scooping the ball away before it could cross the line.

However, the dominant hosts made it 3-0 in the 66th minute when central defender Buongiorno headed home a Lazaro corner.

Giovanni Simeone skied an 80th-minute attempt at a consolation goal, capping a miserable Napoli display as Torino moved to within a point of their ninth-placed opponents.

Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi has urged his side to improve their concentration as they visit Torino on Saturday.

Inter lost ground at the top of Serie A when they threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at home to Bologna, allowing city rivals AC Milan to open up a two-point lead.

A tough test awaits when they head to Turin and Inzaghi knows his side cannot afford any more lapses.

“There will be a need for a very high concentration and desire to do well because a very difficult match awaits us. Intense,” he told Inter TV.

“We are working hard on the defensive organisation. The league table and performance in Europe say we are doing well, but we need to improve again: in the last match, for example, we conceded two clearly avoidable goals and therefore we must make progress day after day.

“The whole team must participate in the non-possession phase.

“Preparing for the first game back from a break is never easy. Most of the players got back on Wednesday, the South Americans yesterday.

“We know that Torino are a good team with a coach in his third year with them. We’ll need a great Inter performance.”

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Scoring goals is certainly not a problem, with 21 in eight games, but Inzaghi thinks there is more to come.

“It’s true, we score a lot and with different players, but we know that we can still improve this figure,” he added. “By training as best we can and finding more goals also with our defenders, with the midfielders.”

Captain Lautaro Martinez has been at the forefront of that, scoring 11 goals in 10 appearances.

“Lautaro is a player with a huge sense of belonging,” Inzaghi added. “He’s improved a lot in the last couple of years and, of course, the armband has given him more responsibility. He also has top team-mates who always try to set him up.”

Inter will assess their players, including Nicolo Barella, as they return from international duty.

Massimiliano Allegri says victory is the only option for Juventus in their Turin derby with Torino on Saturday.

Juve host their city rivals in Serie A hoping to hang on to the coat-tails of the two Milan clubs at the top of the table.

They are also looking to bounce back from a disappointing 0-0 draw with Atalanta last week and Allegri says it is important to get bragging rights in a “special” encounter.

“We are not satisfied with a result other than victory,” he said in a press conference reported on the club’s website.

“It will be a derby and these are always special matches. In managing the ball and passing, we will undoubtedly have to play a better match than the one in Bergamo, aware of the value of the team we will face.

“We face a Torino that is difficult to play against, an aggressive team led by Ivan Juric who is an excellent coach. For him, the results he achieved and the growth of his players speak for themselves.

Midfielder Paul Pogba remains suspended amid reports he has tested positive for testosterone in his B sample.

Juventus will also be without Dusan Vlahovic and Federico Chiesa but Moise Kean and Kenan Yildiz will be involved.

“Moise Kean is doing well and will play.” Allegri added.

“It’s sad not to have Chiesa and Vlahovic because they are doing very well, but these things are part of the game. Kenan Yildiz is ready to play like everyone else who is available.

“On Saturday I will see, the derby is important and above all for us it could serve as another step forward in the standings. We are calm.

“In terms of goalscorers we have Kean, Arek Milik and Yildiz, in midfield we have Adrien Rabiot, who is a goalscorer, Nicolo Fagioli and Fabio Miretti who will start to score goals soon, and then several defenders who are always dangerous on dead-ball situations.”

Turin is black and white if recent results are anything to go by, with Juventus unbeaten in their last 17 meetings with Torino going back to 2015.

Their head coach Ivan Juric has seen his team push Juve close in recent years, without being able to get over the line.

And he hopes that changes on Saturday.

“An aggressive Juve awaits us, we hope to repeat what we have done in the past in terms of performances but with a different result,” he said on his club’s official website.

AC Milan’s attacking prowess was on show as they eased to a 4-1 victory over Torino to maintain their perfect start to the Serie A season.

Olivier Giroud and new signing Christian Pulisic were both on target in the opening win over Bologna and claimed three of the four goals again here.

USA international Pulisic grabbed the first in the 33rd minute from a pass by former Chelsea team-mate Ruben Loftus-Cheek to kick off what was a hectic end to the first half.

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Perr Schuurs levelled three minutes later from Torino’s first opportunity but Giroud converted his first penalty in the 43rd minute after a lengthy VAR check for handball.

And there was still time for Theo Hernandez to make it three before the break, while another VAR review resulted in Milan’s second penalty in the 65th minute, which was again converted by Giroud.

Hellas Verona joined Milan on six points with a 2-1 victory over Roma. They were two up at the break through Ondrej Duda and Cyril Ngonge and held on despite Houssem Aouar pulling one back shortly after half-time and Isak Hien’s red card.

Newly-promoted Frosinone claimed their first victory, defeating Atalanta 2-1, while a double from Andrea Colpani secured a 2-0 win for Monza against Empoli.

In the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund needed a Donyell Malen equaliser to secure a 1-1 draw with Bochum, who had taken an early lead through Kevin Stoger.

It has been a less than convincing start to the season for Dortmund after the disappointment of their title near-miss last term.

There are no such concerns for Union Berlin, who sit top of the table after a 4-1 victory over Darmstadt despite playing with 10 men for more than an hour following Brenden Aaronson’s dismissal.

Berlin were 1-0 up at the time through Robin Gosens and quickly conceded an equaliser but shrugged off the setback, with Gosens scoring again before goals from Kevin Behrens and Danilho Doekhi.

Bayer Leverkusen, Wolfsburg and Freiburg also maintained their 100 per cent starts to the campaign.

Victor Boniface scored twice in Leverkusen’s convincing 3-0 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach while there was also a double from Jonas Wind as Wolfsburg came from behind to beat Koln 2-1.

Freiburg looked set to be held by Werder Bremen only for Maximilian Philipp to pop up in the sixth minute of stoppage time and earn a 1-0 win.

Newly-promoted Heidenheim were two goals up on Hoffenheim heading towards the final 10 minutes and seemed on course for a first win only for the visitors to score three times and clinch a 3-2 victory, with Andrej Kramaric grabbing the winner from the penalty spot.

LaLiga teams used Saturday’s matches to show their support for Jenni Hermoso and the Women’s World Cup winners in their dispute with the federation.

Captain Olga Carmona was in the stands at Sevilla, whose players wore T-shirts bearing the words “Se Acabo”, which translates as “It’s Over”, while Cadiz’s players carried a banner supporting Hermoso.

On the pitch, Sevilla remain without a point after a 2-1 defeat by Girona, who have started well, while Granada defeated Mallorca 3-2 and Kaiky Fernandes netted a stoppage-time equaliser in a 1-1 draw between Cadiz and Almeria in a match that saw both teams finish with 10 men.

Paris St Germain claimed a belated first Ligue 1 victory of the season, defeating Lens 3-1. Kylian Mbappe began to put the summer’s bad blood behind him with two goals after Marco Asensio had opened the scoring.

Chancel Mbemba Mangulu and Ismaila Sarr were on target as Marseille made it seven points from their first three games with a 2-0 victory over Brest.

Inter warmed up for the Champions League final with a 1-0 win over Torino to cap off their Serie A campaign.

The Nerazzurri head to Istanbul to face Manchester City on June 10, but the Coppa Italia winners had league business to attend to on Saturday.

Marcelo Brozovic's excellent strike proved the difference, with substitute goalkeeper Alex Cordaz making a superb save to preserve Inter's lead in the second half.

Inter will face an altogether tougher test in a week's time, but for now, Simone Inzaghi can reflect on a job well done in Serie A.

Romelu Lukaku sparked what had been an insipid first half into life when he crafted space on the edge of Torino's area and saw a low strike deflected just wide.

Stefan de Vrij headed straight at Vanja Milinkovic-Savic from the resulting corner, but Torino's goalkeeper was beaten in the 37th minute.

Given space and time on the edge around 20 yards out, Brozovic punished Torino with a fine left-footed strike that nestled in the bottom-right corner.

Brozovic turned provider shortly after the restart, only for Roberto Gagliardini to head wide from close range.

Ex-Inter forward Yann Karomah almost made an instant impact from the bench when he forced a fine save out of Samir Handanovic, who subsequently received an ovation when he made way for Cordaz in the 65th minute.

Cordaz made a stunning save soon after, reacting brilliantly to parry Antonio Sanabria's effort wide and ensure Inter ended their domestic campaign with a victory.

Lazio head coach Maurizio Sarri has called for resignations over the decision to overturn Juventus' 15-point deduction in Serie A.

The Bianconeri were hit with the penalty in January after an investigation into a capital gains case, with the club found guilty of alleged breaches in relation to historical transfers.

However, Juve's appeal to have the deduction revoked proved successful, with the Collegio di Garanzia announcing on Thursday the penalty has been annulled.

The Italian Football Federation (FICG) could yet punish Juve again after re-evaluating the case, but for now they have jumped to third in Serie A.

Massimiliano Allegri's men have the chance to leapfrog Lazio into second should they beat leaders Napoli on Sunday, but Sarri is not happy with how the situation has been handled.

"From a legal point of view, I don't have the knowledge to be able to give an opinion," he said following Lazio's 1-0 home loss to Torino on Saturday.

"But from a sporting point of view, the championship is distorted. For months there was a ranking, but now it's different and could change. 

"I hope someone in sports justice has the good taste to resign."

Sarri's mood was not helped by what he thought was a poor display from the officials in the loss to Torino, with Ivan Ilic's first-half goal proving the difference.

"The refereeing had an impact," he said. "[Elseid] Hysaj should have had a penalty, and Torino's goal came from a throw-in metres inside the pitch. It influenced the game. 

"I wonder how seven people didn’t see these things. The boys were good – there was a risk of being reduced to nine or 10 men with these referees."