This past weekend, Serie A fans were in for a historical treat as Torino welcomed Juventus in this season's second Derby della Mole. In past times, il Toro enjoyed success against la Vecchia Signora, but the years have not been so kind to the Granata as it has increasingly become a one-sided affair due to the Bianconeri's dominance and Torino's struggles.
The last time Torino had defeated their "big brother" city opponents was in April 1995, and two decades later, they shocked calcio followers by finally earning all three points in an interesting match that finished 2-1 in their favour. Whilst it will not be enough to derail Juventus as they seek a fourth straight Scudetto, at the very least, it will give Granata supporters some satisfaction knowing that they have delayed their cross-town rivals' celebrations a bit while longer.
With a 14-point gap over Lazio, barring a shocking collapse, Massimiliano Allegri's men are absolutely certain of making sure that the Scudetto remains in Turin for another season. However, later today they will be taking on a team that gave them quite a fright in the Coppa Italia back in March thanks to the brilliant showing of new signing Mohamed Salah.
Both Juve and Fiorentina will come into this game following losses this weekend, but the Viola are still the only side to have defeated them at Juventus Stadium this season
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Since Bayern Munich in April 2013, no team had ever been able to depart Juventus Stadium with a win, that is, until Fiorentina. It would prove to be in vain as the Bianconeri were able to bounce back and power past the Viola to make sure their Treble aspirations remain intact.
Allegri was quite clear when outlining the team's plans for tonight's game in his customary pre-match press conference:
.@OfficialAllegri: "Vogliamo conquistare i tre punti affinchè poi ne manchi solo uno per vincere il campionato" #JuveFiorentina
— JuventusFC (@juventusfc) April 28, 2015
"We want to win all three points [tomorrow] which will just leave us with just one point left to win the title"
However, given the trickiness of their upcoming opponent, he, not surprisingly, issued a warning for his players:
.@OfficialAllegri: "La squadra vuole riscattare le sconfitte subite. Domani sarà gara molto difficile" #JuveFiorentina
— JuventusFC (@juventusfc) April 28, 2015
"[Fiorentina are a] team that wants to redeem themselves after suffering [three straight] defeats. Tomorrow will be a very difficult match"
As for the Viola, they, too, will be coming into this match off the back off a surprise loss to Cagliari this past weekend. The once high-flying side has hit a rough patch domestically, although, interestingly, this bad form does not apply to their showings on the continental stage. Vincenzo Montella's side are firmly involved in the semi-finals of the Europa League, with a possibility of an all-Italian final versus Napoli coming up in Warsaw in the upcoming weeks.
However three straight losses in Serie A have seen fans grow agitated and whilst they are not out of the running for more Europa League football next season, another win in Turin will surely quell those who have grown concerned about their team's ability to successfully compete on two fronts.
Will the Viola be able to spoil Juve's title celebrations with a second win at Juventus Stadium? Or will the Bianconeri get back to winning ways after a disappointing derby loss?
Fans of both teams and general Italian football followers certainly will not want to miss out on this one.
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