Torino notched up another impressive victory with Wilfried Singo and Dennis Praet headers after Ciccio Caputo’s Sampdoria opener, albeit with a hole in the net.
The Blucerchiati had Antonio Candreva back from suspension, with Julian Chabot banned, Emil Audero, Mikkel Damsgaard, Maya Yoshida and Valerio Verre injured, Omar Colley at the Africa Cup of Nations. Toro emerged from lockdown to thrash Fiorentina 4-0 and more players returned from their isolation, though Andrea Belotti was injured and Ola Aina on international duty.
Candreva drilled just wide in the opening minutes, while Wladimiro Falcone flapped away a Josip Brekalo curler, then Dennis Praet went on a mazy run down the right to test the goalkeeper at the near post.
Samp took the lead when Vanja Milinkovic-Savic gave it away with a poor clearance, allowing Manolo Gabbiadini to send Ciccio Caputo clear on goal.
Toro got their deserved equaliser with a Mergim Vojvoda cross from the left finding Wilfried Singo for a strong header at the back post.
Kristoffer Askildsen flung himself in the way of a Vojvoda strike, deflecting it just over the bar, while Falcone denied Brekalo from relatively close range.
Sampdoria had a huge chance to restore their advantage, another Milinkovic-Savic error on a cross allowing Morten Thorsby’s header, cleared off the line by Ricardo Rodriguez.
Instead, Toro turned it around completely when Sasa Lukic’s cross from the left found Praet for a header that flew past Falcone into the far bottom corner. It then kept going, because there was a hole in the net and the ball popped out the back, causing some confusion as to whether it was a goal or not. Play was halted while the net was patched up.
Falcone kept Samp in it with his gloves stung by a Singo volley from the edge of the box, while Fabio Quagliarella nodded wide from a Riccardo Ciervo cross.
Sampdoria 1-2 Torino
Caputo 18 (S), Singo 27 (T), Praet 67 (T)