Serie A Preview: Juventus vs Torino – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

More than just bragging rights is at stake as Juventus and Torino go head-to-head in the first Derby della Mole this season. The home side’s feeble Scudetto pursuit is at risk ahead of Granata’s visit to the Allianz Stadium on Saturday evening. 

Despite seeing off newly promoted Cremonese on his touchline debut, new manager Luciano Spalletti faltered in his first Champions League game in charge of the club. Sporting CP held Juventus to a 1-1 draw on Tuesday, exposing many of the Turin giants’ frailties.

Last weekend’s 2-1 win in Cremona at least kept Juventus within striking distance of the top four in Serie A. The record-time Italian champions currently trail fourth-placed Roma by three points despite winning just two of their last seven league matches (D3, L2).

Unlike Juventus, Torino head into the derby in fine form, having avoided defeat in their last five league outings (W3, D2). However, visiting manager Marco Baroni picked up a red card during an intense 2-2 home draw against newcomers Pisa a week ago, which saw them fight back from a two-goal deficit to rescue a point.

As such, Torino will miss their coach today as they bid to defy their dreadful historic record against the Bianconeri. Indeed, they’ve only won once in their last 40 meetings with Juventus across all competitions since December 1995 (W29, D10).

Match Preview

Juventus

Juventus’ ongoing three-game unbeaten streak looks promising on paper (W2, D1). However, there’s a larger, more ominous pattern that can only strike fear in the hearts of home fans. Juventus have emerged victorious from just two of their last 11 games in all competitions (D6, L3). That woeful run also includes three scoring blanks in Serie A.

On a more encouraging side, Juventus have yet to taste defeat on home soil this season, racking up three wins and four draws in their seven matches at the Allianz Stadium. Yet, it’s worth noting that those four stalemates arrived in their last five outings in Turin, highlighting the depth of the crisis.

Another share of the spoils would likely rule Juventus out of the Scudetto race already in November, with pacesetters Napoli four points clear ahead of Sunday’s trip to Bologna. On the contrary, a win could reignite confidence at the Allianz Stadium and get Juventus’ pursuit of their first top-flight title since 2020 back on track.

Despite generating a decent-looking 70% unbeaten ratio in his first ten Serie A games in charge of Torino (W3, D4, L3), Baroni has yet to drag the Granata out of the lower reaches. Perennial mid-table strugglers continue to struggle for consistency, but there’s a silver lining. Indeed, the visitors seem to have found their footing on the road.

Except for a lackluster 2-1 defeat at relegation-battling Parma in late September, Torino have gone unbeaten in three of their last four away games (W1, D2), with their only win in that sequence coming against top-four hopefuls Roma. It’s worth mentioning that they also held Bologna and Lazio to a pair of draws.

Baroni has turned Torino into ‘giant slayers.’ In addition to toppling the Giallorossi in the capital, the Granata stunned defending champions Napoli at home (1-0), boosting their hopes of claiming their first away win over Juventus since April 1995. However, they must avoid another slow start after conceding a league-high 11 first-half goals this term.

Team News

Juventus will face Torino without long-term absentees Arkadiusz Milik, Juan Cabal, and Gleison Bremer. Lloyd Kelly’s back injury has further depleted Spalletti’s defensive options, forcing the former Scudetto winner to put out-and-out midfielder Teun Koopmeiners at the heart of his backline.

On the other hand, Saba Sazonov and Perr Schuurs are not in contention for Torino. More importantly, first-choice goalkeeper Franco Israel remains a doubt after missing the last three games due to injury. On a more positive note, Marcus Pedersen has resumed full training and will be at Baroni’s disposal.

Juventus vs Torino Potential Starting Line-ups

Juventus (3-4-2-1): Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Gatti, Koopmeiners; Cambiaso, Thuram, Locatelli, Kostic; McKennie, Yildiz; Vlahovic.

Torino (3-5-2): Paleari; Ismajli, Maripan, Coco; Pedersen, Casadei, Asllani, Vlasic, Nkounkou; Adams, Simeone.

Juventus vs Torino Prediction

Just one win from Torino’s last ten away matches, accompanied by five scoring blanks, paints a bleak picture for the visitors. Moreover, Juventus’ mini-revival may prove ill-timed for the Granata, whose historical woes in this fixture leave us with no choice but to back the Bianconeri for the win.