Juventus will aim to get back to winning ways when they take on city rivals Torino in the Derby della Mole on Friday night.
Following a superb start to February, Juventus’s run was scuppered by a frustrating 1-1 draw with Atalanta last weekend. Despite the result, the Bianconeri remain in contention for a top-four finish, having collected 46 points on the board.
The season has been far from perfect for Massimiliano Allegri’s men, rife with inconsistencies and struggles in breaking down opposition defences. But that has lately improved thanks to a couple of smart additions in the January transfer window, with the arrival of Dusan Vlahovic, in particular, revving up the team’s attacking unit.
That offensive firepower could be duly tested when they take on Torino. Currently enjoying a mid-table position in the league standings, Il Toro have one of the meanest defences in the league, with a tally of just 25 goals conceded – fewer than league leaders AC Milan. In fact, only three teams, including Juventus, have conceded fewer goals than Torino, which does suggest a stern challenge lies ahead for the Bianconeri.
Widely known as Derby della Mole, the last encounter between these two city rivals saw Juventus secure a narrow 1-0 victory, thanks to a late goal from new signing Manuel Locatelli. Juventus are expected to fare better in this contest, thanks to home advantage, but they will be up against a Torino side desperate for a turnaround, having failed to win in any of their last three matches.
Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over these two sides ahead of this exciting Turin derby at the Allianz Stadium this Friday.
Team News & Tactics
Juventus
? Rangkuman dari konferensi pers bos Allegri perihal #DerbyDellaMole sudah hadir untukmu! Baca disini, ya! ⬇️?
Sesaat lagi ? #JuveToro ?https://t.co/hqT34bHQqt
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcid) February 17, 2022
Massimiliano Allegri will have to deal with the absence of Federico Chiesa, Federico Bernardeschi and Giorgio Chiellini through injuries, while Danilo is not available due to suspension. The Brazilian scored the crucial late equaliser to save a point for his team, but his absence should pave the way for Juan Cuadrado to operate at right-back.
Allegri might not want to tinker with the rest of the backline, with Mattia De Sciglio once again expected to start ahead of Alex Sandro at left-back. The onus of putting a stop to Torino’s attacking endeavours will be on the central defensive duo of Matthijs de Ligt and the experienced Leonardo Bonucci.
In midfield, Juventus might be tempted to start with Denis Zakaria. The Swiss international’s aggression, work ethic and ability to close down the opposition could be vital in Juventus’s second line of press. Zakaria is likely to replace Adrien Rabiot in the middle of the park alongside Manuel Locatelli.
Weston McKennie’s box to box abilities, coupled with technical prowess, could go a long way in helping Juventus in transitions. It will be interesting to see how he links up with Paulo Dybala, who is likely to operate in a withdrawn role, just behind the two main strikers in Dusan Vlahovic and Alvaro Morata.
Morata may have the freedom to drift into wider positions in order to provide width. Allegri has a couple of useful alternatives as well, in the form of Kaio Jorge and Moise Kean.
Probable Lineup (4-2-2-2): Szczesny; Cuadrado, Bonucci, de Ligt, De Sciglio; Locatelli, Zakaria; Dybala, McKennie; Vlahovic, Morata
Torino
Torino will have to deal with a few injury issues of their own, with Tommaso Pobega, Mohamed Fares and Dennis Praet all ruled out. The absence of these key players may have a significant impact on the club’s creative department, although the return of Sasa Lukic from suspension could serve as a breath of fresh air for head coach Ivan Juric.
?️ | CONFERENZA
Juric: "Carichi e consapevoli"
? https://t.co/ld4C2ogujV#SFT pic.twitter.com/trT2B1hwFU
— Torino Football Club (@TorinoFC_1906) February 17, 2022
Lukic should slot right into central midfield, partnering with Karol Linetty in the double-pivot. They are set to be aided by the two wing-backs in Wilfried Singo and Mergim Vojvoda. However, both the wide players may operate in a more defensive role given the quality of the opposition.
As such, it won’t be surprising to see them drop deep and become a part of a wider back-five, partnering with Koffi Djidji, Bremer and Ricardo Rodriguez. It will be essential for these defenders to keep Juventus’s frontman Vlahovic at bay while also maintaining the pressure on the ball-carriers like Dybala, McKennie and Morata in the final third.
Speaking of attack, the Torino frontline should be led by Antonio Sanabria, with Josip Brekalo and Marko Pjaca offering aid from deeper roles. Sanabria is likely to be utilised as a runner, while Brekalo, too, could look to utilise his pace and run behind the Juventus defenders.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Milinkovic-Savic; Rodriguez, Bremer, Djidji; Singo, Linetty, Lukic, Vojvoda; Brekalo, Sanabria, Pjaca
Key Stats
- Torino have won only one of the last 31 derbies in Serie A against Juventus – a 2-1 win in April 2015, with Matteo Darmian and Fabio Quagliarella scoring the two goals.
- Juventus have found the back of the net in each of their last 21 Serie A games against Torino – the last time they ended a Turin derby without scoring was in February 2008 (0-0 under Claudio Ranieri). Among teams currently in the competition, Juventus’ scoring streak against Torino is their longest active run against any opponent.
- Torino are the side that Juventus have collected the most wins (74) and scored the most goals (237) against in Serie A history.
- Juventus have won their last two home games in the league without conceding a goal. They haven’t won three in a row with a clean sheet under Massimiliano Allegri since December 2018.
- Torino have lost their last two league games, having remained unbeaten in seven of the previous eight; the Granata could suffer three consecutive defeats in the competition for the first time since December 2020.
Player to Watch
Dusan Vlahovic
Capello "Vlahovic reminds me of a young Ibrahimovic. My advice to Dusan? It's the same as I told Zlatan back then: you have physical strength, speed & intuition but you must work hard on the technical side where you have great potential. And that's exactly what Ibra did." #TS pic.twitter.com/XIqxrsrjGE
— Tarek Khatib (@ADP1113) February 17, 2022
Dusan Vlahovic remains the undisputed main man in the attack for Juventus. With two goals in three matches, the Serb has enjoyed a blistering start to his career in Turin, and he is now set to take part in the prestigious Derby della Mole, hoping to fire the Bianconeri back to winning ways.
From a tactical perspective, Vlahovic is an important asset for this Juventus team. His strength and ability to make runs in behind the defences should keep the Torino defenders at their toes, possibly creating more space for the likes of Dybala and Morata to exploit.
At the same time, the Granata defenders will need to be wary of the youngster’s heading prowess and clever movements in the final third – making him a menace inside the box. Stopping Vlahovic could thus be key for Ivan Juric’s men as they look to collect at least a point from this encounter.
Prediction
Juventus 1-0 Torino
History has sided with Juventus in their local derbies, and it is hard to imagine anything other than another win for the Bianconeri this Friday. The Old Lady have the home advantage and are likely to field a stronger side after the disappointment against Atalanta.
However, they could possibly find it difficult to break down the Torino defence that has registered an impressive defensive record this term. On that note, it won’t be surprising to see this game turning into a cagey affair, with the result likely to be decided by the barest of margins.
