|
Rolando Bianchi's Lazio debut lasted just five minutes before he was foolishly sent off.
Both these clubs have Scudetto titles in their trophy cabinets, but those days feel long gone as this was a battle against relegation. Toro were without a win since Week 9, while the Biancocelesti had just one victory in their last five. Eugenio Corini, Massimo Mutarelli and Guglielmo Stendardo were suspended, but Rolando Bianchi was on the bench following his move from Manchester City, while Luciano Zauri and Stephen Makinwa were injured.
Roberto Stellone almost scored a cracking goal after two minutes, as he chested down the ball as he spun round between a group of defenders for a volley palmed away by Marco Ballotta.
The veteran goalkeeper also had to get his gloves to a cheeky Alessandro Rosina free kick towards the near post.
Matteo Sereni was tested too by turning out a rocket of an Aleksander Kolarov set-piece from 25 metres, while Tommaso Rocchi combined with Goran Pandev for the Italian to flash a shot across the face of goal, skimming the far post.
Toro wanted a penalty for Gaby Mudingayi's challenge on David Di Michele, but the referee seemed to get it right, as the Lazio midfielder was in front.
Torino were reduced to 10 men on the stroke of half-time, as Simone Barone received his second booking for a cynical foul to stop Massimo Mutarelli's counter-attack.
Bianchi made his debut for Lazio, just days after Torino furiously claimed he had promised to join them. Within 30 seconds he had hacked down Nikola Lazetic and received a booking.
Pandev missed an incredible opportunity moments later, his free header from a De Silvestri cross nodded on to the frame of the goal.
Incredibly, five minutes into his Biancocelesti debut, Bianchi was sent off for another yellow card, jumping with his elbow up on Paolo Zanetti.
Ballotta performed a miraculous save to keep Lazio on level terms on 72 minutes. He somehow managed to parry Cesare Natali's point-blank range header and Sasa Bjelanovic thumped the crossbar on the rebound!
Lazio's injury crisis deepend with De Silvestri limping off and Torino lost Paolo Hernan Dellafiore, but neither side could find a breakthrough.
| 
