TORINO FC (Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino)

SERIE A, TORINO 0-2 LAZIO, ATTENDANCE: 22,742

Ciao! This was the first game of a four game, four day trip to Italy. I started in the city of Turin as Torino welcomed Lazio to the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino.

It was a textbook away performance from I Biancocelesti. Torino created, and missed, a plethora of chances before Lazio's Mattéo Guendouzi (51) scored with their first effort on target. A second from Danilo Cataldi followed 5 minutes later and that was effectively game over.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men, after Mario Gila recieved a second yellow card, but Lazio were able to comfortably see the match out. Ex-Everton man Nikola Vlasic lined up for Torino and was probably their best player on the night.

Founded in 1906, Torino Football Club are among the most successful clubs in Italy with seven league titles, including five consecutive league titles during the 1940s. The Grande Torino, as the team was nicknamed, were regarded as one of the strongest footballing sides of the period until the entire team was killed in the 1949 Superga air disaster. In truth, the club has never really recovered.

Torino play their home games at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, renamed in honour of the 1940's team in 2016, which has been home since 1963. The ground was originally built in 1933 and named after Benito Mussolini before changing name to the Stadio Comunale after the war. The ground was redeveloped for the 2006 Winter Olimpic games and subsequently known as the Stadio Olympico.

Tram number 4 from the main station takes you to and from ground, so post match it was back into town where there was just about time for a quick snifter and a slice of pizza before heading back to the hotel.