SERIE A MATCH REPORT

Khouma Babacar snatched a point for Fiorentina at Torino after Fabio Quagliarella’s opener.

The Viola had a full-blown injury crisis wiping out their entire first choice attack, as Juan Cuadrado, Mario Gomez, Joaquin, Giuseppe Rossi and Marko Marin were sidelined. Micah Richards got his first Serie A start. Toro missed Migjen Basha, Alexander Farnerud, Paulo Vitor Barreto and Antonio Nocerino, but confidence was boosted by a midweek win at Cagliari which saw the club score its first Serie A goals of the season.

Fabio Quagliarella at full stretch just failed to get on the end of a splendid Bruno Peres assist. Kamil Glik nodded over the bar from a corner and Neto back-pedalled furiously to palm away a Quagliarella long-range lob.

Khouma Babacar had a great chance on the Mati Fernandez assist, but Gillet rushed off his line to close him down.

Babacar again ran on to a Borja Valero pass and once more Gillet showed lightning-sharp reactions to parry from point-blank range.

Sanchez Mino skimmed the base of the upright after combining with El Kaddouri, but it was mainly Fiorentina in the first half and Gillet again was one-on-one with Babacar.

However, the Granata went on the counter and Norberto Neto needed a fingertip save to turn Quagliarella’s angled drive round the far post.

Matteo Darmian wasted a golden opportunity after the restart, drilling well wide from a very promising position.

Moments later Toro did get the opener, as Bruno Peres pulled back from the by-line for Quagliarella, who turned two defenders for the angled drive from seven yards.

Gillet was again decisive, flying to beat away a fierce Alberto Aquilani free kick. Parity was restored with Fiorentina’s second goal of the Serie A season and it was a combination of their two young talents.

20-year-old Federico Bernardeschi had just come off the bench when he threaded through to send 21-year-old Babacar clear on goal.

Italy Under-21 international Bernardeschi tried to go for goal himself, but his header was off target.