Derby della Mole, a fixture that splits Turin in half, takes place on Saturday at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino as Torino and Juventus go head-to-head in a massive Serie A encounter. Neither side won’t be taking the field with enthusiasm following a series of wasteful performances.
Torino avoided losing four consecutive Serie A matches by the skin of their teeth last weekend to hold Empoli to an uneventful 1-1 stalemate at home. Sasa Lukic bagged home a late equalizer for Ivan Juric’s side with one of the funniest goals you’ll see in the Italian top flight this season to hand his manager a lifeline in Turin.
However, the pressure continues to mount on Juric after his men scored just twice in their last four league outings. Torino’s woeful spell of form pins them to mid-table lethargy ahead of the kick-off, as the Croatian boss starts to feel uncomfortable. Beating Juventus would alleviate some pressure off his shoulders, but it’ll be easier said than done.
Like his Torino counterpart, Massimiliano Allegri has grown increasingly unpopular among the Juventus faithful. Tensions reached boiling point on Tuesday when the record-time Italian champions slumped to a catastrophic 2-0 defeat away to Maccabi Haifa.
With the Bianconeri’s hopes of making it out of the Champions League group stages at a bare minimum, they can ill-afford another slip-up this weekend. Desperate to consolidate his position in the dugout, Allegri will have to find a way to reignite his side’s confidence following last weekend’s 2-0 derby loss away to Milan.
Match Preview
Torino
Seeking their first triumph in the famous Derby della Mole since 2015, Torino may see Saturday’s encounter as a perfect opportunity to claim the bragging rights. They may have won just once in their last 38 matches against Juventus, yet their rivals’ unfathomable spell could be what the doctor ordered for the Granata.
Torino will have to cope with their own form woes at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino as they’ve racked up just two victories in their last 12 home games in Serie A (D5, L5). Much of the hosts’ home troubles have emanated from a low-performing frontline that has failed to score five times in the last eight top-flight outings on home turf.
Juric reportedly contemplates several changes in the front third to shake up his lackluster attacking line-up after seeing his side bag just eight goals in Serie A this season. But he’ll also have to pay attention to his defense, as Torino last kept a clean sheet against Juventus in 2008, going 22 successive top-flight H2Hs without a shutout since.
Juventus
Last weekend’s defeat at the Stadio San Siro bookended Juventus’ worst nine-match Serie A start since 2015/16, leaving them with a meager 13 points. However, if you’re looking for an omen, the Bianconeri turned their fortunes around against Torino that year and went on to lift the crown, a prospect that looks a bit stretched at this point.
Playing outside the Allianz Stadium has been the visitors’ Achilles heel lately. Juventus head into proceedings winless on their last six Serie A travels (D2, L4). That’s their worst away run without winning in the Italian top flight since 2010, summing up Allegri’s ever-growing problems in a nutshell.
Fast starts, a highlight of Juve’s matches in the young Serie A season, could come in handy. Juventus have tallied 25% of their league goals this term within the opening 15 minutes of play, suggesting they could be a nuisance for Torino’s backline from the get-go. Unfortunately for Allegri, his lads tend to run out of steam as games progress.
Torino vs Juventus Potential Line-ups
Torino (3-4-2-1): Vanja Milinkovic-Savic; Koffi Djidji, Perr Schuurs, Ricardo Rodriguez; Ola Aina, Sasa Lukic, Karol Linetty, Valentino Lazaro; Aleksei Miranchuk, Nikola Vlasic; Antonio Sanabria.
Juventus (4-4-2): Wojciech Szczesny; Danilo, Leonardo Bonucci, Gleison Bremer, Alex Sandro; Weston McKennie, Leandro Paredes, Adrien Rabiot, Filip Kostic; Arkadiusz Milik, Dusan Vlahovic.