Torino vs Juventus: It’s now or never for under-fire Pirlo
Under-fire Juventus and their manager Andrea Pirlo will be desperate for a result when they take on Torino on Saturday. This will be the 204th official (245th unofficial) edition of the Derby della Mole, and the two sides involved couldn’t be facing different situations. Juventus, who are in third, are still clinging to fading hopes of winning a 10th straight Scudetto. Torino, who sit in 17th, are hoping to avoid the drop. Both Pirlo and Davide Nicola, thus, do have something in common – aiming to keep their respective jobs.
For Pirlo, it’s reported that he has 180 minutes, or two games, to save his career. There’s no room for sentimentality, it seems, at Juventus. Despite enjoying a successful spell in Turin, the 2006 World Cup winner is on thin ice. Juventus have been dumped out of the Champions League for the second straight season, and at the first hurdle. They’re ten points behind Inter in the Scudetto race. And although they’ve won the Supercoppa Italiana, that trophy clearly is just a mere piece of vanity silverware in the eyes of the Juve hierarchy. The Bianconeri will take on Atalanta in the Coppa Italia final next month, and will be expected to win, but with the way they’ve played this season, one can’t fault La Dea for being hopeful they may cause an upset.
After all, this is a team who’ve failed to beat Benevento both home and away. La Vecchia Signora first were held to a 1-1 draw with the minnows earlier this season before suffering a humiliating 1-0 loss to them at home before the international break. They also lost 3-0 to Fiorentina just before the Christmas break, which certainly has to be among the lowest points of Pirlo’s reign. Yes, there have been some bright lights; ironically, ex-Fiorentina player Federico Chiesa, who clearly has a point to prove since his move to Turin, has been among one of them. Another is American midfielder Weston McKennie. The Texan-born player made history as the first American to sign for the Bianconeri when they decided to take a punt on him and bring him in on loan from Schalke, and he’s more than proven his worth.
So much so, that Juventus opted to given him a permanent contract. Unfortunately, he won’t be available here, and not due to injury; rather, due to youthful folly. McKennie is an excellent footballer, but let’s not forget, he’s only 22-years-old. He still has plenty of growing and maturing to do. Recently, he was caught having a party which is a big no-no in Italy due to, well, obviously, COVID-19. A nosy neighbor called the police, and the rest is history. McKennie, along with Paulo Dybala, and fellow teammate Arthur were among those caught in the dragnet and all three not only were fined by Juventus but also have been suspended for this match. There are whispers that they’re not the only players at that party, but Juventus have denied this, so for now, it’s only these three who have been punished by the club.
Other absentees for the visitors also include Leonardo Bonucci, who’s contracted COVID-19, Giorgio Chiellini, who suffered an injury while on duty with the Azzurri, and Gigi Buffon, who’s banned for allegedly uttering blasphemous phrases, so Pirlo will have to deal with a selection crisis in defense and midfield. Torino, meanwhile, have been given a boost thanks to the returns of Andrea Belotti, Rolando Mandragora and Salvatore Sirigu, all of whom have been declared free of COVID-19 following the international break.
Despite Juve’s struggles, Torino are still the obvious underdogs here. The Granata have won just one of their last 29 meetings with Juventus, while losing 22 of those encounters. In addition, they’ve not only lost their last five clashes with the Bianconeri, but have failed to score, meaning that if Juve can win here, they’ll have shut out Torino six times in a row for the first time in history.
A win will give Pirlo a life-line, but only briefly. Next up is a tougher test, against Napoli. He’ll have to win that one as well in order to get the execs off his back – for now. But first, will be to ensure his side don’t drop any more points in this upcoming Derby della Mole. Will Juventus, who look set to relinquish their grip on the Scudetto for the first time in a decade, be able to muster the energy to mount one last effort? Or will their title hopes, just as their Champions League dreams, go up in smoke?
