Andrea Belotti’s penalty, Cristian Ansaldi from a tight angle and Simone Zaza’s header gave Torino the 3-0 Europa League preliminary round win over Debrecen.
The second leg will be in Hungary on August 1 at 17.30 UK time (16.30 GMT), with the winners going on to face Shakhtyor Soligorsk or Esbjerg on August 8 and 15.
Andrea Belotti’s penalty, Cristian Ansaldi from a tight angle and Simone Zaza’s header gave Torino the 3-0 Europa League preliminary round win over Debrecen.
The second leg will be in Hungary on August 1 at 17.30 UK time (16.30 GMT), with the winners going on to face Shakhtyor Soligorsk or Esbjerg on August 8 and 15.
Walter Mazzarri’s men weren’t originally in Europe, but were promoted to the preliminary round after Milan’s exclusion for Financial Fair Play issues, moving Roma up to the group stage. Because it was organised so late in the summer, they had to play at the Stadio Moccagatta in Alessandria, as the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino was hosting a concert.
The Granata threatened immediately from a free kick that Bremer just had to tap in on Andrea Belotti’s assist, but Attila Haris had to clear from practically off the line with the loose ball waiting to be tapped in.
Toro were dominant and Belotti sprung the offside trap to be brought down by the on-rushing goalkeeper. Il Gallo converted it himself, blasting into the roof of the net.
Alex Berenguer fired over and Belotti’s header couldn’t surprise Sandor Nagy, but the first real Debrecen opportunity saw Akos Kinyik blast just wide.
Moments later, Torino doubled their lead with a bit of good fortune. Cristian Ansaldi burst down the left and mis-kicked the cross, which squirmed past the goalkeeper at the near post, scoring from an improbable angle.
Debrecen showed more initiative after the break and Armando Izzo ran a big risk when getting away with a shirt-tug on substitute Haruna Garba in the penalty area, while Kevin Varga’s volley skimmed the far post.
Berenguer almost made it 3-0 with a splendid curler just over the crossbar, then went even closer as Nagy stuck out a foot to deflect his finish on to the upright.
Simone Zaza came off the bench and immediately turned a free header wide on yet another Ansaldi cross, then got around the outside of a defender to hit the side-netting.
Zaza completed his eventful cameo with the third goal, as he redirected a wayward header from a corner and was just the right side of the offside trap.
Garba tried to snatch a precious away goal in stoppages, but turned Izzo to drill wide of the upright from 12 yards.
Torino 3-0 Debrecen
Belotti pen 20 (T), Ansaldi 42 (T), Zaza 93 (T)
Torino: Sirigu; Izzo, Nkoulou, Lyanco; De Silvestri, Baselli, Meite, Ansaldi; Falque (Lukic 75), Belotti, Berenguer (Zaza 80)
Debrecen: Nagy; Kinyik (Kusnyir 74), Szatmari, Pavkovics, Ferenczi; Szecsi, Haris, Varga (Pinter 86); Trujic, Zsori (Garba 46)
Ref: Maae (DEN)