Gvidas Gineitis returned to the field today after recovering from an injury and what a return it was as he scored his first-ever goal in Serie A as Torino FC secured a draw against Fiorentina 1-1.
The 20-year-old midfielder missed the last few Serie A matches due to the injury but was named in the squad and started on the bench. Before this game, Torino was sitting in 12th place in the Serie A league table.
Torino faced Fiorentina, who are vying for a spot in next season’s Champions League. The first half did not go well for Torino, as Fiorentina dominated the play, creating several good chances. Things took a turn for the worse when Torino’s defender Ali Dembele received two quick yellow cards, resulting in a red card. Just five minutes later, Moise Kean scored the opening goal with a header that beat Torino goalkeeper Vanja Milinković-Savić.
The second half began with Fiorentina leading 1-0. Gineitis made his comeback in the 57th minute, coming on as a substitute for Cameroonian midfielder Adrien Tameze.
With Fiorentina seemingly on track for an easy victory against the 10-man Torino, the situation changed dramatically in a matter of seconds. Moments before Gineitis’s goal, Torino nearly scored when Milinković-Savić’s long ball found substitute Alieu Njie, whose shot narrowly missed the target.
Then came Gineitis’s moment. Following a goal kick, Torino applied pressure, and Gineitis intercepted a pass intended for a defensive midfielder. The Lithuanian international composed himself and placed a well-aimed shot into the back of the net, marking his first goal in Serie A. He becomes the third Lithuanian player to score in the league, following in the footsteps of Marius Stankevičius and Tomas Danilevičius.
Despite Fiorentina’s being with a player more on the field, they struggled to create any dangerous chances, while Torino appeared relatively stronger as the game progressed.
When the final whistle blew, Fiorentina fans were left in disbelief, while Torino fans and players celebrated a hard-earned point, thanks in large part to the remarkable performance of 20-year-old Gvidas Gineitis from Mažeikiai.