Torino have a mountain to climb after their 2-0 Europa League defeat to Zenit, played for over an hour with 10 men.
The Granata started this competition back in July’s preliminary rounds and reached the Last 16, eliminating Athletic Bilbao. This first leg tie at the Stadion Petrovski saw them face Domenico Criscito’s Zenit St. Petersburg, though Andriy Arshavin, Viktor Fayzulin, Aleksandr Kerzhakov and Vyacheslav Malafeev were ruled out.
Torino have a mountain to climb after their 2-0 Europa League defeat to Zenit, played for over an hour with 10 men.
The Granata started this competition back in July’s preliminary rounds and reached the Last 16, eliminating Athletic Bilbao. This first leg tie at the Stadion Petrovski saw them face Domenico Criscito’s Zenit St. Petersburg, though Andriy Arshavin, Viktor Fayzulin, Aleksandr Kerzhakov and Vyacheslav Malafeev were ruled out.
Toro had been unbeaten in 12 competitive games before a 3-2 loss at Udinese on Sunday and hadn’t got this far in Europe since reaching the Final in 1991-92. Zenit had won 11 of their last 12 Europa League home fixtures, drawing the other.
Daniele Padelli denied Jose Rondon from point-blank range after just three minutes, but Toro remained comfortably until a turning point.
Marco Benassi had been booked for stopping a Hulk counter-attack inside his own half, then the 20-year-old clattered into Axel Witsel for a second yellow card. Torino were down to 10 men for over an hour in Russia, so Giuseppe Vives replaced Josef Martinez.
Oleg Shatov drilled wide, but Javi Garcia was booked and will be suspended for the second leg in Turin.
Zenit did break through with only their second shot on target of the game. Padelli meekly parried the first Igor Smolnikov shot, but could do nothing on the Witsel follow-up from seven yards.
Padelli seemed anxious after that and spilled a soft corner, from which Rondon scored after being flagged offside.
Padelli used his foot to deny Hulk from close range after the restart, then substitute Vives went off with a groin problem.
Zenit doubled their lead when Danny and Hulk combined to hit the upright, the ball rebounding into the path of Domenico Criscito. The Italian defender got his first European goal at the 30th appearance, excluding qualifiers.
Witsel’s acrobatic overhead kick whistled wide and Hulk ballooned a free kick over the bar. Torino also had a chance to close up the gap, Alexander Farnerud springing the offside trap to drill wide.
The Granata were livid at the final whistle and Christian Molinaro was booked after the game had finished.
Zenit 2-0 Torino
Scorers: Witsel 38 (Z), Criscito 53 (Z)
Zenit: Lodygin; Smolnikov, Luis Neto, Garay, Criscito; Javi Garcia; Hulk, Witsel (Tymoshcuk 90), Danny, Shatov (Ryantsev 81); Rondon
Torino: Padelli; Maksimovic, Glik, Moretti; Darmian, Benassi, Gazzi, El Kaddouri, Molinaro; Quagliarella (Maxi Lopez 74), Martinez (Vives 34) (Farnerud 52)
Ref: Manuel De Sousa (POR)
Sent off: Benassi 28 (T)