The return of club football after the international break begins with an exciting fixture as local rivals Torino and Serie A holders Juventus face each other on Saturday.
The Derby Della Mole will take place at the Olympic Grande Torino Stadium on Saturday evening. Juventus are fighting a dying battle to retain their league title with 10-points separating them and top position. Their streak of nine consecutive titles is set to come to and with Inter Milan on course to lift the tile.
The build-up to the game has been hardly ideal for the defending champions as Weston McKennie, Paulo Dybala and Arthur Melo left out of the squad due to a breach of COVID-19 protocols. Meanwhile, Leonardo Bonucci will miss out after testing positive for the virus.
The season hasn’t gone to plans for Torino either who are involved in a heated battle to avoid relegation. Currently, they are just a point above safety sitting in 17th place.
They have a tough run-in till the end of the season with matches against AS Roma, Napoli, and AC Milan still left. The reverse-fixture saw Juventus take the three points at the Allianz Stadium with late goals from McKennie and Bonucci completing a comeback victory.
Nicola’s men have now lost three of their last four after a brief upturn in fortunes following his appointment, as their progress was destabilised by the intervention of infections – with resultant postponements and absences posing a major challenge for the boyhood Torino fan.
Having fought back from three goals behind to draw 3-3 with high-flying Atalanta, then from two down to beat Sassuolo 3-2, there is certainly no shortage of character in the dressing room though.
80′ GOOOAAALLL!!!! pic.twitter.com/5QUTY2P82L
— ykvs (@ykvs5) April 3, 2021