Torino coach Ivan Juric hopes thousands of fans flocking to training will boost them going into the Derby della Mole with Juventus. ‘At times the weakest team wins with more enthusiasm and grit.’
It kicks off on Tuesday at the Allianz Juventus Stadium at 19.45 GMT.
As a result of the 15-point penalty for artificially inflating transfer fees to boost capital gains, this is a rare occasion when Juve and Toro are very close in the table, separated by just one point.
“I think we are ready,” said the coach in his press conference.
“There’s little comparison between the squads on paper, but at times the weakest team wins with more enthusiasm and grit. We want to give it our best, even if it’ll be complicated dealing with Angel Di Maria on the form he’s been in the last few weeks.”
As the Torino ultras are boycotting the game for their refusal to sign up to the Juventus website, the club opened up the doors to over 2,000 supporters for their training session at the weekend.
“That is when I realised the importance of this jersey. Now we need to deepen that bond and make them fall in love with this team. The love around this club is different, there is a unique history at Torino and we want everyone who comes here – from the players to the cooks – to have love.”
That can also translate into pressure going into the Derby della Mole, but Juric is confident his squad will be able to handle it.
“I want us to win. It was a different build-up, with strong sensations, but that has to be a positive thing, not one to worry about. I hope for a great performance and for a victory.”
Ivan Ilic has made a full recovery and is expected to start, whereas Samuele Ricci is only fit for a place on the bench.
Nikola Vlasic, Pietro Pellegri, Ronaldo Vieira and Valentin Lazaro are out of action.
Juventus should start former Torino defender Gleison Bremer, who Toro sold to their bitter rivals last summer.
“We brought in Perr Schuurs, who is a different player and still has work to do in order to grow. In some characteristics, he is already better than Bremer and could become something truly special.”