07 October 2023
Juventus produced two second-half goals to extend their unbeaten run over Torino in all competitions to 19 matches, with a 15th win in that sequence. Grabbing derby glory were Federico Gatti, with his maiden top-flight goal four minutes after the restart, and Arkadiusz Milik who like Gatti pounced to finish off another Filp Kostic corner on 62’.
The Bianconeri rearguard held firm for the remainder of the game to collect an eighth clean sheet in 13 Serie A matches, a third in succession.
THE MATCH
On his 100th appearance in Serie A, Moise Kean thought he had got Juve off to a flyer. The striker was played through on goal by Tim Weah after just five minutes. Kean took one look before thumping his shot high into the top corner.
His joy, and that of the Bianconeri faithful, was short-lived. VAR ruled out the striker’s effort for offside.
Kean was the only recognised striker in the Juventus attack at kick-off, with top scorers Dusan Vlahovic and Federico Chiesa forced to watch from the stands because of injury. The arrival of a co-striker after the interval would change the complexion of the first Derby della Mole of the season.
Kean was close to a tap-in when Filip Kostic burst through the Toro defence on 18 minutes, but the winger’s cross-cum-shot went wide of the far post, agonisingly too far ahead of Kean.
Neither goalkeeper was seriously tested as the opening period progressed. A spate of three shots in succession from the edge of the area by Juve captured just how much defences were on top. Kostic saw his effort blocked, likewise Fabio Miretti, before Adrien Rabiot’s shot deflected harmlessly through to Vanja Milinkovic-Savic in the Granata goal.
Arkadiusz Milik was asked to make an impact coming off the bench for the restart. And that was exactly what the Polish forward did.
The number 14 was involved from kick-off in helping Juve win a corner. Panic ensued From Kostic’s precise delivery as Milinkovic-Savic made no contact on the cross, the ball struck Adrien Tameze and ricocheted to Kean, whose overhead kick was blocked on the line before Federico Gatti pounced on the loose ball. Just to make sure the number 4 headed his second effort into the unguarded net.
However, just like in the first half. The goal was disallowed for offside, or so it seemed. Four minutes of VAR review, during which Bremer received treatment after being unintentionally kicked in the face by Kean, eventually validated the goal.
Gatti raced off to celebrate his first ever Serie A strike. The local lad had made the breakthrough in the derby.
Just over the hour mark, Milinkovic-Savic produced a reflex save to deny a powerful header from Milik, but from the resulting corner the striker got the better of the keeper. Again Kostic’s delivery asked questions of the Toro defence, and Milik outjumped Savic inside the six-yard box to double Juve’s lead.
Six minutes later, Gatti almost added a third from another wicked Kostic corner, flashing his header just wide.
Toro did not threaten until the closing minutes. First Duvan Zapata called on Wojciech Szczesny to make his first real save of the game on 87 minutes with a glancing header, then substitute Antonio Sanabria’s overhead kick flew just wide. In between those two Granata chances, Milik was thwarted by another Milinkovic-Savic block.
Derby delight for the Bianconeri was just the tonic before the squad splits for the international break.
JUVENTUS 2-0 TORINO (HT: 0-0)
Scorers: 47′ Gatti, 62′ Milik
JUVENTUS: Szczesny, Gatti, Bremer, Danilo; Weah, McKennie, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic (75′ Cambiaso); Miretti (46′ Milik); Kean (85′ Yildiz). Subs not used: Pinsoglio, Perin, Huijsen, Rugani, Fagioli, Nicolussi Caviglia, Iling-Junior. Coach: Allegri.
TORINO: Milinkovic-Savic; Tameze, Schuurs, Rodriguez (83′ Vojvoda); Bellanova, Ilic (83′ Pellegri), Ricci, Lazaro (83′ Gineitis); Seck (71′ Sanabria), Vlasic; Zapata. Subs not used: Gemello, Popa, Zima, Karamoh, Sazonov, Linetty, Antolini, N’Guessan Cauneman. Coach: Juric.
Referee: Massa
Bookings: 20′ Bellanova, 72′ Gatti
