The 183rd Turin Derby is on the horizon, and Juventus will aim to keep their unbeaten run going in Serie A this season when they visit neighbours Torino.
Torino will have to dig deep to know when they last beat Juventus in Serie A, as it will take them back to April 2015, when goals from Matteo Darmian and Fabio Quagliarella proved enough for all three points. That win was also the only one in their last 36 games against the Bianconeri, and they have lost 27 in that run.
Beating Juventus has become a distant dream for most of the Torino supporters, although the home crowd will once again be behind their team to make it happen. The home side have endured a difficult run of late as they are winless in their last three league games, including consecutive draws against Udinese and then Parma in their latest game.
That draw against newly promoted Parma also meant Torino have failed to win their last game of a calendar year for the eighth time running. However, the supporters will hope for a better start to 2025 as the Turn Derby awaits.
Thiago Motta will be wary of the narrative building around his team in the background and arrest their most recent slump in form. Juventus are steadily heading out of the title race despite being unbeaten in Serie A this season, as they have had an incredible eleven draws this season. At the same time, their seven wins are about half of what league leaders Atantala have.
Those dropped points have killed off an early promise in the season, with Motta seeking answers for this kind of results. Before Juventus headed off to Saudi Arabia for the Supercoppa Italiana, they managed to draw another game against current top-four rivals Fiorentina, which potentially halted a run of two consecutive victories in all competitions.
In Saudi Arabia, Juventus looked in control of their semi-final clash with AC Milan but conceded two goals midway through the second half in quick successions. That competition was a chance to build momentum. However, that was not the case, and Motta will now shift his focus towards matters in the league as he will look to continue on the unbeaten run as well as their impressive record against neighbours Torino.
Team News & Tactics
Torino
Torino are certainly without long-term absentees Perr Schuurs and Duvan Zapata, while there are doubts about Saul Coco and Samuele Ricci. The duo sustained injuries against Parma, and Paolo Vanoli will be hopeful to have them back for the Turin Derby.
The latter might still cut the derby and partner alongside Ivan Ilic in central midfield. Yann Karamoh and Nikola Vlasic are are the likely candidates to play in the attacking role, while there is competition for places to lead the line, although it might be Che Adams to do that.
In defence, Vanoli will continue to deploy three centre-backs: Mergim Vojvoda, Guillermo Maripan and Coco. The latter is still a doubt alongside Samuele Ricci but expected to shrug off the problem and feature in the derby. Valentino Lazaro and Borna Sosa are the expected candidates to feature in the wing-back roles for Torino against Juventus.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Milinkovic-Savic; Vojvoda, Maripan, Coco; Lazaro, Ricci, Ilic, Sosa; Karamoh, Vlasic; Adams
Juventus
Thiago Motta will be sweating over the fitness of key attackers like Dusan Vlahovic and Francisco Conceicao, although the former is still expected to feature. The duo have been training individually, although the Serb’s problem is not considered serious at this time and will feature.
Juventus do have long-term absentees in Juan Cabal, Arkadiusz Milik and Gleison Bremer. Key midfielder Manuel Locatelli is suspended for this derby, meaning Premier League-linked Douglas Luiz might get a rare start alongside Khephren Thuram in Juventus’s midfield.
Kenan Yildiz could make way for Samuel Mbangula on the left wing, while the Turkish international could potentially move to the right to cover for Conceicao. Teun Koopmeiners will reprise the attacking midfield role in support of Vlahovic up front.
Danilo remains out of the current project and is expected to depart sooner rather than later, meaning Nicolo Savona and Andrea Cambiaso are expected in the full-back positions. Pierre Kalulu and Federico Gatti are the starting central defenders for Motta at the moment.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Savona, Gatti, Kalulu, Cambiaso; Luiz, Thuram; Yildiz, Koopmeiners, Mbangula; Vlahovic
Key Stats
- Torino have been winless against Juventus since April 2015.
- Torino have lost 27 of their last 36 appearances against Juventus in the League.
- Juventus are undefeated in their last 26 matches in Serie A.
- Juventus have drawn 11 games this season in the Serie A.
Player to Watch
Douglas Luiz
The absence of Manuel Locatelli with a suspension does open the doors for Luiz to make an impact and show his levels to Thiago Motta. In the last few days, talks of a return to the Premier League has gained momentum with the Brazilian midfielder, and the manager might give him a chance to show what he’s capable of.
Meanwhile, Juventus need inspiration from somewhere to steer the side to winning games, and Motta will be tired of draws this season. Whether Luiz can be that player to help balance this side’s attack and defence, to help them gain a valuable win remains to be seen, although this derby is a big opportunity for the Brazilian to show what he can do.
Prediction
Torino 0-2 Juventus
Torino are in for another important derby, although this time, they will hope to make an impact in the most positive way possible and will certainly dream of a first win in nearly a decade. However, their form is not in a favourable run, meaning this could be another long night for the home fans to endure.
As per our prediction, this game could be a repeat of the reverse fixture this season when Juventus ended up as 2-0 winners. They certainly have an edge in quality and will use that against their neighbours to end their slump of drawing games and get back in the mix at the very top.
