Luciano Spalletti is gearing up for his first Serie A clash in front of a home crowd on Saturday evening (17:00 GMT), as Juventus take on neighbours Torino, hoping to continue their climb up the Italian top flight after appearing to overcome a tricky spell under former boss Igor Tudor.
Team form
Juve made a good start to the season, beating Parma, Genoa and Inter Milan. However, an eight-game winless run across all competitions, including three draws and two defeats in the league, cost Tudor his job after just six months.
They’ve appeared to turn things around instantly, with a 3-1 win over Udinese before beating Cremonese 2-1 in Spalletti’s first game in charge last weekend, despite Jamie Vardy’s late goal threatening a comeback.
Local rivals Torino have struggled to gain any significant momentum this campaign, with a mixed record of three wins, four draws, and three defeats, leaving them languishing in the bottom half of the table (13th).
They are, however, on a five-game unbeaten run in the Serie A. Il Toro have held their own against top opposition in that time as well, beating league leaders Napoli and drawing with fifth-place Bologna and Lazio.
Head-to-head
To say Juventus have dominated proceedings in the Turin Derby would be an understatement. Torino’s last win against their city foes came back in 2015, and even then, it was their first victory over The Old Lady in two decades.
Their last five meetings have resulted in three wins for Juventus and two draws. Though it’s worth noting that both of those stalemates came at the Stadio Olimpico, while they’re on a three-game losing streak when crossing the city to the Allianz Arena.
Team news
Spalletti has inherited a squad with its fair share of injuries, particularly at the back, with Gleison Bremer, Juan Cabal and Lloyd Kelly out.
The good news for the former Lazio boss is that Cabal might be back in time for the Derby, while forward Kenan Yildiz is also available for selection again.
Torino’s injury list isn’t looking much better, with up to five players sidelined for Marco Baroni’s side, including former Juve goalkeeper Franco Israel and left-back Niels Nkounkou.
Key stats
Giovanni Simeone is Torino’s top scorer in the Serie A this season, with four goals in 10 games.
Kenan Yildiz could provide a spark for Juve on his return, with two goals and three assists for The Old Lady this campaign.
Both sides have had their struggles in front of goal in the league, with Juve averaging just 1.4 goals per game while Torino have an average of merely 1.0.
The visitors have averaged 2.2 cards per game in their last five Italian top-flight games.
Prediction
Torino can be plucky underdogs, as they have proven already this season. However, Juventus have a good record at the Allianz Arena against their fierce city rivals and are gaining momentum following the sacking of Tudor, so they should take all the beating on Saturday afternoon.
