Having seen their side held to a tedious draw against Atalanta last time out in Serie A, certain sections of the Juventus fan base weren’t shy in voicing their criticism of the team’s lack of ambition.
Keen to make a statement in the early stages, the Old Lady edged a closely-fought opening 20 minutes, with Moise Kean seeing a well-taken strike disallowed for offside. That reprieve allowed Torino to gain a foothold in the contest, as they looked to nullify Juventus’ threat in the final third.
After an uneventful opening half-hour where clear-cut chances came at a premium, the hosts continued to probe for an opener before half-time.
The best opportunity fell to centre-back Gleison Bremer, who directed a close-range header narrowly over the bar, as Torino held firm to make it through to the break on level terms.
In a similar tale to the opening period, Juventus emerged after the restart on the front foot, and their positive start was rewarded with a breakthrough in the 51st minute.
Torino keeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic misjudged a cross into the penalty area, and after a melee inside the six-yard box, Federico Gatti tapped home to give the hosts a deserved opener.
Armed with all the momentum, Juventus doubled their lead shortly after the hour mark, as substitute Arkadiusz Milik rose highest in the box to convert from Filip Kostic’s inswinging corner.
Faced with a two-goal deficit, a comeback from the visitors always seemed unlikely, and so it proved, as the Old Lady coasted through the final 20 minutes to secure three crucial points, extending their dominant record in the derby to 23 matches unbeaten.
As for Torino, they’ll be desperate to bounce back against Inter Milan after the international break following a fourth game without a win.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Federico Gatti (Juventus)
