Juve are desperate for a derby win against Torino

Juventus visit city rivals Torino in Serie A on Saturday, with Thiago Motta’s fifth-placed side determined to break their season-long disappointment with a draw.

Ahead of their 183rd Torino derby, Juve look set to have a strong season on paper, remaining unbeaten in their opening 18 league games for only the third time. However, they currently sit 12 points adrift of leaders Napoli. The reason for this is their alarming number of draws, with Juventus sharing the spoils 11 times already this season.

Among Motta’s pre-match concerns is Francisco Conceicao’s injury suffered in the warm-up ahead of Friday’s Supercoppa Italiana semi-final with AC Milan in Saudi Arabia. Italian media have also reported a row with veteran defender Danilo, who is said to be out of Motta’s future plans and is trying to leave the club.

With Gleison Bremer and Juan Cabal also injured, Juve may explore the transfer market for defensive reinforcements, although it is highly unlikely that anything will happen before the derby. In a round where none of the top eight teams face each other, an upset could change the trajectory of the season.

Milan are riding high after new manager Sergio Conceicao secured the Supercoppa Italiana trophy by beating Inter Milan on Monday after two games in the group and host Cagliari on Saturday.

If Milan prevail again, the Portuguese will become the first Milan coach to win his first three games since the great Arrigo Sacchi in 1987. However, Milan will be without wingers Samuel Chukwueze and Noah Okafor, with both sidelined due to minor muscle injuries.

Meanwhile, Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta suffered a rare setback, losing 2-0 to Inter in the Supercoppa Italiana semi-finals. They sit in second place, three points behind Napoli but with a game in hand, and visit ninth-placed Udinese on Saturday.

Top scorer Matteo Reteghi could return from an injury in the 1-1 draw at Lazio on December 28. Atalanta are on a 13-game unbeaten run in Serie A heading into this weekend’s clash. Third-placed Inter travel to second-placed Venice on Sunday and the absence of key defenders Francesco Acerbi and Benjamin Pavard is unlikely to trouble Simone Inzaghi’s side.

Both players are expected to miss the game as they continue to recover from injuries. Inter are facing uncertainty over the availability of Serie A’s joint top scorer Marcus Thuram after the forward picked up a minor injury during the Supercoppa semi-final against Atalanta. He may not be in danger, with the focus likely to be on ensuring his full recovery as they look to secure the Champions League last eight and qualify directly for the knockout stages. They are currently sixth, one point above the play-off places. Reuters

Liverpool were furious as Tottenham Hotspur’s Bergwall escaped a red card

Swedish teenager Lukas Bergvall opened his Tottenham account in thrilling fashion with the winner in Wednesday’s League Cup semi-final first leg, but he shouldn’t even have been on the pitch according to Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk.

The 18-year-old had already been booked in the 68th minute and escaped a second yellow for a mistimed tackle on Kostas Tsimikas, moments before sealing a 1-0 lead for his side. Liverpool were furious, especially as Tsimikas was still off the field when Bergvall’s shot went past Alisson.

Liverpool tasted defeat for only the second time since manager Arne Slot took over and defeat ended a 24-game unbeaten run in all competitions, although the holders still have next month’s second leg at Anfield to turn things around . Although magnanimous in defeat, Slot was also adamant that Bergvall should have been dropped.

“The decision he made had a big impact on the result tonight. I can’t say too much about it,” the Dutchman said of referee Stuart Attwell. “The fourth official told me why he thought it wasn’t a second yellow and he probably heard it from the referee. “I never like to lose, but if you have to lose, it’s better to lose when you still have the second leg to come. .”