Torino vs Juventus: Preview and Prediction

Torino vs Juventus
2016/17 Italian Serie A.
Date: Sunday, 12 December 2016
Kick-Off: 14:00 UK,
Venue: Stadio Olimpico (Turin).

A historic derby awaits as long-time rivals Torino welcome Juventus to the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday afternoon.

The Granata would have wanted to come into this game having strung together four wins on the trot. However, Sampdoria had other plans as they shocked them 2-0. They now will have to dust themselves off as they take on the Bianconeri. Juventus, not surprisingly, have been a thorn in Torino’s side for a long, long time. This is a truly lopsided clash, with the Granata winning just one out of their past 20 meetings.

And they will be up against a team brimming with confidence. Massimiliano Allegri’s men sealed top spot in their group by beating Dinamo Zagreb to complete their group stage campaign without suffering a single loss.

On top of their Champions League group, and on top of the league. Things are really going very well for Juve right now. In fact, none of the teams who finished top in their groups can lay claim to this achievement. They might be dealing with injuries to key players, with defensive trio Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzagli, and Dani Alves out for quite some time. Paulo Dybala is another who has been on the treatment table and only returned to full fitness.

However, there’s a reason why they have won the past five Scudetti. Despite Gonzalo Higuain hitting a rough patch – he didn’t score a goal for much of November – they have other options in attack, with Mario Mandzukic putting in some solid showings for the club as of late. Furthermore, as we saw in the win over Atalanta – which ended La Dea’s nine match unbeaten streak – goals for Juve can come from anyone. Both Daniele Rugani and Alex Sandro (defenders) were on target as well, and in fact, the Bianconeri have scored more goals through defenders than any other side in the league.

Torino vs Juventus: Head-to-head statistics

• Torino have won just one out of their last 20 meetings with Juventus (2-1 in April 2015).
• The Granata have drawn the other four and lost 15.
• Juventus have a record of W15 D1 L4 in their past 20 away games against teams ranked below them in the table.
• Torino have lost 66 times to Juventus – more than against any other opponent.
• The Bianconeri have won 33 out of their last 38 Serie A games.
• Torino have a record of W5 D6 L9 in their past 20 home games against teams ranked above them in the table.
• The Granata are undefeated in their last seven home games.
• There have been over 2.5 goals scored in 10 out of Torino’s last 11 home games.
• Juventus have scored at least two goals in their last three games against Torino across all comps.

Torino vs Juventus: Prediction

Based on the historical significance alone, the upcoming Derby della Mole will arguably be the biggest game for Torino keeper Joe Hart. The English international, of course, is no stranger to huge derby clashes, having featured in several Manchester Derbies whilst with Man City. After conceding two goals, he will be hoping to make an impact in what should be a highly entertaining game.

Torino may not have the defense of Juventus, but their attack is no slouch. The Granata have netted an impressive 31 goals so far, which makes their failure to score against Sampdoria a rarity. In fact, they are only one behind Juventus, who have the second-strongest attack in Serie A. The hosts will want to take advantage of any fatigue Juve may be suffering after their midweek Champions League tie, but all in all, they likely will be no match for the Bianconeri, who will be welcoming back Paulo Dybala for this game.