Hero Higuain
Every Derby Della Mole tends to have a hero. For much of the 90s it was Gianluca Vialli, in 2007 it was David Trezeguet, in 2014 Andrea Pirlo and last autumn Juan Cuadrado.
This time around, there can be no doubt that Gonzalo Higuain took the mantle for his two goals yesterday afternoon, the first a cheeky dink over Joe Hart to bring the Bianconeri back on level terms just 12 minutes after Andrea Belotti had handed the hosts an early lead.
By contrast, his second was an unstoppable piledriver from the edge of the area that emphatically put his side in front for the first and final time of a typically hard-fought derby.
Pipita’s brace (his third now with Juventus after Sassuolo in September and Empoli in October) has brought his overall tally against Torino to five goals in seven outings and, as far as Juve fans are concerned, he could not have chosen a better fixture to fill his boots again. That’s 12 strikes in all competitions for the Argentine this season.
Pjanic pounces again
Players that rarely fail to have their say in the final third of the field are worth their wait in gold and Miralem Pjanic is undoubtedly one of those players.
Miralem needed just 11 minutes to make his mark yesterday. Coming off the bench in the 81st minute, he sent a precise, low shot past Hart after the keeper had blocked his initial attempt.
Game, set, match and some thoroughly impressive statistics for the Bosnian, who’s now scored six and set up a further seven goals in all competitions this season.
A Joy(a) to behold
Just like Pjanic, Paulo Dybala too had a decidedly positive impact on the latter stages of the game after entering the action in the 71st minute.
La Joya had already shown glimpses of brilliance in the dying embers of Wednesday night’s win over Dinamo Zagreb and his energetic input yesterday was even more telling. A mazy dribble down the right flank left Torino defenders dead in their tracks before playing in first Higuain and then Pjanic for the final goal of the game that put derby victory beyond doubt.
Make no bones about it, seeing Dybala near full fitness and form is the early Christmas present all Bianconeri fans wanted and looks like they’re getting!
Super Super Mario
It’s sometimes easy to forget that football is a team sport, but with Mario Mandzukic around Juventus fans are treated to a constant reminder of just that.
It was his selfless flick into the path of Higuain that set up Juve’s equaliser in the first half. Then, early in the second period with Torino piling on the pressure, he put his body on the line to thwart Adem Ljajic and Iago Falque.
Without such contributions from the Croatian, the hosts could well have retaken the lead and we might be talking today about a very different game indeed.
Backline brilliance
Torino make for extremely tough opposition these days. Let’s not forget that before kick-off yesterday they were unbeaten at home and also boasted the third most potent attack thanks to the exploits of Belotti, Ljajic and Falque.
Belotti’s opening goal aside however, this aforementioned trio – a handful for the majority of Serie A sides this season – were kept firmly at bay by the Bianconeri backline, not least centre-half partners Giorgio Chiellini and Daniele Rugani.
Whether it was clearing their lines, intercepting balls forwards or winning their individual aerial duels, the Tuscan duo did it all yesterday, laying the foundations from which the players in front of them could build the ultimately deadly attacks that sealed victory. Chiellini even has an assist to show for his efforts, having played the ball from which Pipita scored his second of the afternoon.
Finally, by popular request, here’s a photo of Gianluigi Buffon’s eye-catching moustache. He was fishing for a mention in our derby round-up… and he’s got it!