|
Fiorentina ran riot over a desperately poor Torino side that was falling to pieces in defence and, were it not for Christian Abbiati's penalty save, it would've been a tennis score.
Gianni De Biasi won on his return to the Granata bench midweek, but faced a much tougher prospect at the Stadio Franchi. Having ended a run of six straight defeats under Alberto Zaccheroni, he had to do without the suspended Andrea Ardito. Fiorentina are fighting back from a 15-point Calciopoli penalty to challenge for a place in Europe, but had Fabio Liverani on a ban.
Luca Toni allowed Adrian Mutu to spring the offside trap, but Christian Abbiati performed a desperate double save on the Romanian and Riccardo Montolivo's follow-up. Mutu again tested Abbiati in the opening minutes, as he was unstoppable down the left flank.
However, Torino took the shock lead against the run of play with their most controversial player. Alessandro Rosina sprung the offside trap on Fabio Gallo's chipped pass and although Sebastien Frey got a touch to the first effort, he could do nothing on the second from a tight angle. Rosina had been frozen out of the squad following a row with Zaccheroni, but was revitalised by the return of De Biasi to the bench.
Mutu was on stunning form, though, and he thought he had equalised on 23 minutes, but the goal was disallowed for Toni's alleged push on Cesare Bovo.
Toro had another good chance to extend their lead with Nikola Lazetic's strike skimming the upright.
Fiorentina finally managed to celebrate when Reginaldo rushed down the right wing and his low cross was bundled over the line by Toni from point-blank range.
A couple of minutes later Toni turned the game around completely in curious circumstances. The corner kick took a couple of touches before it bounced in off the side of his shin. Abbiati came out and failed to capture the ball, leaving the Fiorentina striker clear.
Franceschini fought back for Toro, his header from a corner kick bringing a difficult save out of Frey.
Toni was a constant danger and Franceschini kept his side in it with a decisive goalline clearance after the angled drive had already beaten Abbiati.
After the break Toni was hoping to turn in Manuel Pasqual's cross, but Franceschini got there first to score an own goal that left Abbiati stranded.
Abbiati was at full stretch to tip another Toni strike round the post. From the resulting corner kick, Mutu's free header also brought a tough reaction save out of the Torino 'keeper.
Montolivo earned the applause of his opponents when he asked the referee to change his mind over a free kick, as he had not been fouled.
Oscar Brevi missed the ball inside his own area to give Mutu a great chance and, on the resulting corner kick, Alessandro Gamberini was allowed the easiest of free headers for 4-1.
The defender completed an unlikely brace, again given all the space he needed to nod in a corner kick at the back post.
Mutu thought he'd join in the scoring party when the referee pointed to the spot for Franceschini's push on Giampaolo Pazzini, but Abbiati saved his penalty with an outstretched left hand.
| 
