Zenit Saint Petersburg fullback and Italy international Domenico Criscito has hailed Torino for their recent success in Serie A and the Europa League.
Torino defeated Athletic Club 5-4 on aggregate on Thursday, becoming the first Italian club to win in the Basque country, however they were rewarded with a draw against Zenit in the Round of 16 which Crisicto believes will prove a difficult challenge for the Russian side.
“At this point, every team is difficult to face but Torino are the revelation of the Europa League and they are in great shape,” Criscito told Tuttomercatoweb.
“Just look at the streak they are on in the league.
“Frankly I did not expect them to win at San Mames because it is a tough stadium and many fall there. Credit to [Giampiero] Ventura, he has shown his value as a coach since the days of Bari, he makes his teams play well.”
Zenit will host Torino in the first leg on March 11, and Criscito believes this is the best possible situation for his team.
“I believe the Europa League has become a very important competition with great teams.
“As far as we are concerned, we know we are a good team and we will try to go as far as possible.”
