By his own admission in his post-match interview, Simone Zaza had never scored against Torino before this evening, a drought that was satisfyingly quenched in the Bianconeri’s resounding 4-0 Coppa Italia last 16 victory over their old rivals.
And the Juve frontman, as would be expected on such a landmark occasion, was naturally delighted with his derby double when speaking to the media after the game.
He began: “I am very happy, every one of us put in a great performance tonight. It was a big win for us because we have continued or great form, advanced to the next round in the Coppa Italia and a derby win is always a derby win!”
On the subject of great performances, a question about Simone’s superb instinctive opening goal shortly before the half-hour mark was inevitable. As has been the case with previous strikes this season against Frosinone, Sevilla and Palermo, this evening’s was another another eye-catching moment for the Bianconeri’s summer signing that could only be really enjoyed after the final whistle.
“Alvaro put a brilliant cross into the box and I didn’t think twice about taking the shot on. I like to keep everything inside. To really take stock and reflect on what I’ve done on the pitch, I always have to wait until after the game has finished.”
Quickly putting personal showings to one side, Simone believes that Wednesday’s win is another demonstration of his side’s recent menacing form, a hot streak that may well continue into the New Year with a Serie A trip to Carpi lying in wait on Sunday.
He concluded: “We want to make sure that we win on Sunday to close the gap on the leaders and keep up our winning streak. We will need to respect Carpi this weekend and treat the game like any other.”