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Torino paid the price for missing several great chances in this entertaining 1-1 draw with Genoa.
These are two of the oldest and most glorious Serie A sides, but they were going through a rough patch. Toro were without a win in four, the Grifoni had lost four of their last six. Vincenzo Grella, Simone Barone. Matteo Paro, Ivan Juric and Danilo sat out bans, while Alessio Scarpi replaced the injured Rubinho in the Genoa goal.
Torino fielded an experimental formation with no centre-forward, as Alvaro Recoba, Alessandro Rosina and David Di Michele took turns swarming up the pitch.
They had a great chance early on when Rosina surged forward and rolled across for the unmarked Di Michele, but the former Palermo player ballooned over from eight yards.
Recoba spotted Alessio Scarpi off his line and unleashed a lob from midfield that almost caught the 'keeper off guard, as he had to back-pedal to flap it out from under the bar. Recoba was wearing a special protective mask after recent mouth surgery.
Toro were dominating and Paolo Hernan Dellafiore went on a fantastic run until his shot was finally charged down by a brave Cesare Bovo sliding tackle. From the resulting corner, Gianluca Comotto drilled past the near post.
Scarpi smothered a Rosina snapshot from distance and Recoba's curling effort, but Genoa were finally dangerous on 38 minutes when Comotto had to close down Marco Di Vaio in the box.
However, it was Genoa who took the lead straight after the restart. Di Vaio's backheel sparked the move as Fabiano found space down the left and crossed low for Marco Borriello to convert at full stretch. It was the striker's first goal away from home this season.
Nicola Ventola replaced the disappointing Recoba and El Chino did not look at all happy with the decision.
Abdoullay Konko performed a decisive tackle to stop Di Michele going clear on goal, but the move continued and Toro eventually bundled the ball over the line. A throw-in took a series of deflections and Ventola's shot was about to be cleared when Salvatore Lanna dived in for the final touch.
The game suddenly sprung to life and Scarpi flew to fingertip a dangerous Ventola cross off Lanna's head, but at the other end Giuseppe Sculli almost got his head to a cross at the back post.
Torino really should have taken the lead on 66 minutes. Di Michele flicked a free kick back off the byeline, but a series of players got a touch and couldn't quite scramble it past Scarpi from point-blank range.
Moments later Julio Cesar Leon's set-piece was nodded just wide by Konko. Leon changed the face of the game, as before his half-time introduction Genoa were slow and sluggish, but he repeatedly dribbled past opponents and lifted the whole pace of the team.
Genoa were extremely unlucky on 76 minutes when a Konko corner whipped across the face of goal and Alessandro Lucarelli went into the net but forgot to take the ball with him.
Sereni captured a Borriello header and turned Leon's strike out for a corner. In the final minute Toro had another brilliant opportunity, as substitute Marco Motta touched back for the unmarked Lanna and Scarpi spread himself wide to narrow the angle from six yards.
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