Dusan Vlahovic scored a late goal to earn Juventus the Derby della Mole bragging rights once again on Saturday night, beating Torino 1-0 in a nervy affair in Turin.
Heading into the derby, Juventus were undefeated in their last 16 matches against Torino in all competitions, and this was the hosts’ best chance to pile further misery on their out-of-sorts neighbours after their European set-back. However, Dusan Vlahovic scored a late goal to secure a 1-0 win in the local derby, continuing Il Toro’s long-standing inability to turn over Juventus.
It was fairly dire for the first 45 minutes, Juventus had the best chance of the half in the 34th minute, but Dusan Vlahovic’s shot was denied by some heroics from Vanja Milinkovic Savic. Torino controlled possession in their opponent’s half, although most of their attacks were directed toward Nemanja Radonjic, who lost possession countless times.
Otherwise, the hosts only had half-chances around the box, but Juve’s resilient defence snuffed them out. The second half started out with a sense of urgency and more promise for the visitors, with Filip Kostic doing well to feed the ball to Vlahovic, who had a shot blocked by a Torino defender before Locatelli rushed in for the follow-on, but his awkward shot was pushed narrowly over by Milinkovic-Savic.
Moise Kean also missed a golden opportunity from close range to give Massimiliano Allegri’s side the lead. However, Juventus finally managed to break the deadlock when a corner whipped in found the head of Danilo, whose flick-on was met at the back post by Vlahovic after the Serbian escaped his marker.
Top 10 as it currently stands. #SerieA #Juventus pic.twitter.com/BjzF7DtyYI
— JuveFC (@juvefcdotcom) October 15, 2022
It was by no means a comfortable win for Max Allegri’s men, who are still shaky, but this clean-sheet win will be a big morale-booster. Juventus are now seventh in the Serie A standings with 16 points from 10 games, overtaking Inter in the fledgling standings.
It remains to be seen whether this victory can instigate a string of positive results for Allegri’s side or a flash in the pan to override inconsistency for the meantime.
Wojciech Szczesny: 7/10
The Polish goalkeeper put in a solid showing tonight, making three saves, one of which was an important one to prevent the hosts from taking an early lead. Still, he had a relatively quiet day at the office as while Torino dominated the possession and had their chances, they skied most of them.
Danilo: 8.5/10
As strange as it may sound, Juventus’ dismal form has overshadowed Danilo’s vast improvement in performances. He was yet again exceptional at the back, with well-timed challenges to break up Torino attacks, showed excellent composure, and was proactive in attacks as well.
A defensive action machine, he made 5 tackles, 3 clearances, 2 interceptions, and blocked one shot. Completed 4 of his 5 attempted long balls, and won almost all of his duels (6/7). Not to mention, he also bagged an assist with a towering flicked header for Vlahovic’s opener.
Gleison Bremer: 7/10
Usually a rock at the back for Juventus, Bremer looked on edge all evening against his former club before being taken off for Bonucci with 40 minutes remaining on the clock with what seemed to be a tight hamstring. Still, he made 2 clearances and several critical blocks that may have resulted in him getting injured.
Alex Sandro: 7.5/10
Playing out of position, Sandro had a decent game in the back three and was arguably one of Juventus’ best performers on the day. He first complimented Bremer well and later combined well with Bonucci to deal with any incoming threats. A proactive defensive presence; he made three tackles, never dribbled past, won most of his contested duels (5/6), and remained concentrated throughout the game. Solid.
Juan Cuadrado: 7.5/10
Given the armband tonight, Cuadrado put in a real shift, regularly pushing forward in support of the attack and pinging in some fine crosses to create some chances for his teammates. Not only was the Colombian lively down the right flank and caused a lot of trouble for Ricardo Rodriguez and Valentino Lazaro when moving forward, but he was also an absolute defensive monster, registering a match-high 6 tackles during the game.
Weston McKennie: 6/10
He looked to be a player in dire need of an easy game, not a heated derby. The USMNT international was overwhelmed in the middle of the park after failing to cope with the opposition’s intensity. His first touch remained poor, and he just couldn’t contribute to either phase of the game.
Manuel Locatelli: 6.5/10
> Weston McKennie’s 1st half numbers vs Torino:
Touches 13
Key passes 0
Crosses 0
Long balls 0
Shots on target 0
Shots off target 0
Ground duels (won) 2 (0)
Aerial duels (won) 0 (0)
Possession lost 3
Fouls 1
Clearances 0
Interceptions 0
Tackles 0(via @SofascoreINT)
— Get Italian Football News (@_GIFN) October 15, 2022
Locatelli had a shaky start to the game, but he grew as the game progressed and managed to show his quality. Perhaps not his best display, but he did what was asked of him during the game. His passing can’t be faulted, but at times, he really needs to be more decisive in moving the play forward.
Adrien Rabiot: 7/10
Rabiot was sturdy in the midfield. He handled himself well enough and continues to be a vital cog under Max Allegri. His eagerness to charge at the Torino defence helped his side gain the upper hand in the second half. He’s just a very intelligent footballer who makes good runs to exploit open spaces.
Filip Kostic: 7.5/10
After a difficult start to life in Turin, it appears Kostic is finally finding his groove back. He was a live-wire here and was a partner in crime with Vlahovic. He created a handful of chances and some of his crosses created havoc in the opponent’s area. For example, he set up a wonderful goalscoring opportunity for Moise Kean, who was unable to handle the ball and fired it miles wide.
Moise Kean: 7/10
Kean put in hard graft and tried to repay his manager’s trust to start him over an established option in Milik, and while his commitment to cause and desire were never in doubt, he lacked clinical nature in front of the goal. This can be seen from the golden chance that he sent wide from a brilliant Kostic cross.
Dusan Vlahovic: 8/10
Dušan Vlahović’s highlights Vs Torino. Often setting up attacks, instead of being at the end of good service. Still 6G + 1A in 9.
Improvements:
Heading & link-up play ✔️
Kostić – Vlahović connection ✔️Mentally as strong as they come for 22-year-olds.pic.twitter.com/TUQDq9uCTc
— Serbian Football Scout (@SerbFootyScout) October 15, 2022
It was a tense match with opportunities at both ends, but it was always going to take the right man in the right position to clinch all three points for his side, and that was Vlahovic. It was a thoroughly deserved goal for the Serbian who was the best player on the pitch on the night and while it was only a tap-in at the back-post, that scoring feeling would have done his confidence a world of good.
While things were going his way, he put himself about, was excellent in hold-up play, involved in all major attacking sequences and scored a poacher’s goal. Should have done better and put his golden chance away in the first half, but it has to be kept in mind that Milinkovic-Savic pulled off a stunning string of saves.
Substitutions
Leonardo Bonucci: 6/10
Relegated to the bench in what was a controversial call from Allegri, Bonucci played his role in nullifying the threat posed by Nicolo Vlasic and Aleksey Miranchuk. As ever, the veteran was composed at the back and quick to snuff out any potential danger with minimal fuss.
Arkadiusz Milik: N/A
Milik could not have much of an impact and could not fire a shot away, with Juventus pinned back to defend the narrow lead.
Leandro Paredes: N/A
Didn’t play enough to warrant a rating.
