04 October 2023
We have already told many stories with fascinating outcomes in our Iconic Goals segment, but few are comparable to the emotions that come in a derby. A few days before the Derby della Mole, scheduled to take place on Saturday, 7 October at 18:00 CEST at the Allianz Stadium, this week's choice of Iconic Goals recalls a particular derby played on 30 November 2014.
A "European" Toro
It is a "European" Torino that lines up against the Bianconeri: the previous season saw the Granata qualify for the Europa League and, with their newfound confidence, they dream of a big win away from home. Juventus, however, was doing very well in the league: having earned 10 victories in the first 12 matches of the new season. Coach Allegri opts for Fernando Llorente to support Carlos Tevez in attack, while opposition manager Gian Piero Ventura's called upon Amauri and Fabio Quagliarella, both of whom previously donned the black and white of Juve. Adding fuel to the derby fire was the small fact that Torino were without a derby win since 1995 - almost 20 years of waiting.
Early goal cancelled out
Juventus enjoy a strong start, launching continuous attacks on the Grenata goal. An Andrea Pirlo free-kick after a quarter of an hour is deflected off a defender's arm, and Juventus are awarded a penalty, with Arturo Vidal making no mistake from the spot. It seemed like a prelude to a magical evening, yet Torino hit back through Bruno Peres, who runs the entire length of the pitch with the ball before poking home to restore parity.
The rain beat incessantly on the pitch in the second half as Alvaro Morata was brought on to add impetus to the Juventus attack. The match becomes all the more harder for Juve as Stephan Lichtsteiner, who was already booked, was sent off for a late foul near the Torino area. The Granata, with their tails up, looked to take advantage of the extra man, and came close to taking the lead through a corner, while Juventus seemed happy to take home a point, considering the circumstances.
Pirlo at the death
In the 93rd minute, however, despite the clouds in Turin sky, Pirlo's shining light illuminates the stadium. Great work from Vidal and then Morata sets up the on-rushing Maestro, who rifles the ball home through a forest of Torino shirts. A deafening roar sounded around the Stadium as Pirlo celebrated with his teammates, securing derby honours in dramatic last-minute fashion.
