Fabio Quagliarella’s penalty was the last kick of the game to give Torino victory over Copenhagen in the Europa League.

Elsewhere Club Brugge won 3-0 at HJK, so Toro are joint top of their group with four points.

Fabio Quagliarella’s penalty was the last kick of the game to give Torino victory over Copenhagen in the Europa League.

Elsewhere Club Brugge won 3-0 at HJK, so Toro are joint top of their group with four points.

The Granata hosted their first European group game since 1993-94 and were hoping to build on an impressive 0-0 draw at Club Brugge, whereas Copenhagen beat HNK Helsinki 2-0. Absentees included Antonio Nocerino, Paulo Vitor Barreto, Cesare Bovo, Migjen Basha and Alexander Farnerud, but Jean-Francois Gillet was again in goal to celebrate his recall to the Belgium squad. The Danes missed Christoffer Remmer, Kris Stadsgaard and Mikkel Wohlgemuth.

Josef Martinez just failed to get his head to a Matteo Darmian cross, then scuffed wide from a Marco Benassi assist.

Emiliano Moretti went extremely close on 22 minutes, as Kamik Glik knocked down a corner for the defender to nod on to the crossbar from point-blank range.

Cristian Molinaro blasted over and Martinez saw his effort charged down by Mikael Antonsson before Molinaro forced a save out of Stephan Andersen.

Copenhagen also threatened, as Andreas Cornelius nodded inches wide from a corner.

After the restart Martinez went clear on goal, but Andersen performed a crucial save when one-on-one. The Danish goalkeeper was also alert to beat away a Sanchez Mino snapshot, but at the other end substitute Alexander Kacaniklic skimmed the upright with a left-foot shot.

An audacious Benassi volley from 25 metres flew over the bar and the Granata poured forward late on, deep into stoppages earning a penalty for Antonsson’s shirt-tug on substitute Quagliarella. The ex-Juventus striker stepped up to take the responsibility himself and converted for a last-gasp victory.

Torino 1-0 Copenhagen

Scorers: Quagliarella pen 94 (T)

Torino: Gillet; Maksimovic, Glik, Moretti; Darmian, Benassi, Gazzi, Sanchez Mino (El Kaddouri 69), Molinaro; Martinez (Quagliarella 73), Amauri (Larrondo 78)

Copenhagen: Andersen; Hogli, M Jorgensen, Antonsson, Bengtsson; Gislason (Kacaniklic 68), Amartey, Claudemir (Delaney 82), Toutouh; Cornelius, Kadrii (N Jorgensen 58)

Ref: Gomez (ESP)

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