Torino keep Club Brugge at bay

• Belgian goalkeeper Jean-François Gillet earns Torino a point
• Oscar Duarte and Nikola Storm pass up Club Brugge's best chances
• Next games: HJK v Club Brugge, Torino v København (2 October)

Club Brugge KV pushed the hardest, but there was ultimately no way through for them or Torino FC in their opening UEFA Europa League Group B game.

Torino goalkeeper Jean-François Gillet endured a busy night on his return to his native Belgium to ensure 1992 UEFA Cup finalists Torino got a point on the board, though Giampiero Ventura's side failed to make much of an impact as an attacking force at the Jan Breydelstadion.

Former R. Standard de Liège man Gillet was fast off his line to deny Club Brugge's busy striker Felipe Gedoz on five minutes, but while Pontus Jansson and Fabio Quagliarella both had a sight of goal at the other end, Torino's defenders were much busier than their strikers. Gillet dived to deny Oscar Duarte a headed goal following a corner, and Víctor Vázquez shot straight at the goalkeeper from a decent position.

Club Brugge persevered after the interval; Thomas Meunier winged a shot off target from an improbable angle, and Brazilian debutant Felipe Gedoz was denied by a saving Alessandro Gazzi challenge after a sharp break. Michel Preud'homme's side probably knew that their luck was out on 76 minutes, when Gillet flung himself to his right to fend away Nikola Storm's goal-bound header.

There was almost a sting in the tail for the home side, but Omar El Kaddouri's shot from distance bent just past Matthew Ryan's left-hand post, and Duarte blocked off substitute Josef Martínez as he wove his way into the danger area.