After both teams struggled to create clear-cut chances, Juve striker Dusan Vlahovic scored a late goal to secure a 1-0 win over Torino in Serie A on Saturday. The Bianconeri and manager Massimiliano Allegri were under pressure following their 2-0 Champions League loss to Maccabi Haifa, but a lacklustre first-half performance gave the injury-plagued visitors little reason to be optimistic.
The first 45 minutes of the Turin derby were difficult for both sides, with Torino’s few half-chances around the box being snuffed out by the Juve defence. After 34 minutes, Vlahovic had the first real chance, but his compatriot Vanja Milinkovic-Savic made an impressive save and then denied Manuel Locatelli’s effort.
The goalkeeper came back into the game after the break, pushing over Locatelli’s bouncing shot on its way into the top corner. Moise Kean came close to putting Juventus ahead after 62 minutes, but his close-range shot was off target.
Vlahovic lost his marker in the 74th minute and tapped in from close range after an assist from Danilo, giving Allegri’s team a much-needed win.
Torino now sit 11th with 11 points, while Juventus climbed to seventh in Serie A with 16 points after playing one more game than the teams above them, trailing leaders Atalanta, who climbed to the top of the table with a 2-1 home win over Sassuolo on Saturday, thanks to goals from Mario Pasalic and Ademola Lookman.
Georgios Kyriakopoulos gave Sassuolo the lead in the 41st minute with a powerful left-foot volley, putting Atalanta behind in a league game for the first time this season.
Pasalic equalised in first-half stoppage time, and Lookman sealed the victory a minute later after running past Sassuolo’s defence and curling a close-range shot into the top right corner of the goal. For the first time in their history, Atalanta have gone unbeaten in their first ten league matches.
Atalanta leads the table with 24 points, but they have played one more game than Napoli, who is second with 23. On Sunday, Luciano Spalletti’s men will play Bologna.
