This evening sees the 195th official meeting between Juventus and Torino in the Derby della Mole.
It may not be the most fiercely contested city clash in Italian football, but the Turin derby is the oldest.
The first meeting between the sides took place in January 1907, Torino having formed three years earlier as an offshoot of Juventus.
It was the Granata who would hold the city’s bragging rights in the early years, winning the first Derby della Mole 2-1 and triumphing in eight of the first 10.
This evening sees the 195th official meeting between Juventus and Torino in the Derby della Mole.
It may not be the most fiercely contested city clash in Italian football, but the Turin derby is the oldest.
The first meeting between the sides took place in January 1907, Torino having formed three years earlier as an offshoot of Juventus.
It was the Granata who would hold the city’s bragging rights in the early years, winning the first Derby della Mole 2-1 and triumphing in eight of the first 10.
Indeed, between 1912 and 1915, Toro won 8-0, 8-6 and 7-2; with the other match being a 1-1 draw.
Since those days the Bianconeri have largely held the upper hand, but the fixture is far more historically balanced than many outsiders would believe.
Those unfamiliar with calcio may equate this fixture to Barcelona vs Espanyol, but the overall record reads 84 wins for Juventus and 56 for Torino, with 54 draws.
In fact, it’s the city of Turin rather than Milan which can boast the most Scudetti.
Between them, Milan and Inter have finished top of the pile on 36 occasions, but Juve and Torino have combined for 39 League titles.
That’s the official record, of course, even if the Granata maintain their claim to the 1927 title and their city rivals continue to count the Calciopoli titles.
Today’s match will be particularly poignant for the maroon half of the city, coming as it does two days following the anniversary of the Superga disaster, the plane crash with claimed the lives of ‘il Grande Torino’.
That side won five Scudetti in a row, a record which would have been even greater were it not for the Second World War and the tragedy which ultimately befell the squad.
Defeat at Juventus Stadium would all-but hand the title to Max Allegri’s side for the sixth season running, finally breaking the record set by Toro’s greatest ever side.
Torino have won just once in the last 22 meetings between the sides, and in truth a win today would probably only delay the inevitable.
The memory of il Grande Torino though, will be all the motivation Sinisa Mihajlovic and his players need to ruin the Old Lady’s party.
Derby della Mole:
Games: 194
Juventus wins: 84
Torino wins: 56
Draws: 54
Juventus goals: 289
Torino goals: 238
Top-scorer: Giampiero Boniperti – 14 [Juventus]
Biggest win: Juventus 0-8 Torino [1912]