Juventus have been the undisputed giants of Turin in recent years, running the Serie A table with machine-like efficiency and impunity. In the shadow of the Bianconeri juggernaut however, rests a more rustic beast: Torino.
Il Toro have enjoyed a good Serie A season since they were promoted last season. Torino already banked 42 points, three more than they did last season when they finished 16th in Serie A. With seven games to go, Torino have won three more games (11) than last season, managed seven less draws (9), and suffered three less losses (11).
Much of Torino’s good fortune this year has come down to Ciro Immobile and Alessio Cerci. Il Toro’s two Italians represent the bull’s two horns, spearheading the club forward. In fact Torino have spent 17 match days in top half of the Serie A table, with seventh spot – barring their fourth place after match day one – being their highest position. Compare to the year of their promotion, when Torino only spent three match days in the top half as well as succumbing to a precipitous drop in form after match day 25 that saw them finish the season from 11th to 16th.
Not conceding tends to help a team stay afloat; whilst scoring goals can help a team achieve buoyancy and allow them rise up the table. Last season Cerci managed eight assists for Torino. This year he has nine and added 12 goals on top of it. The stratospheric rise of Immobile this season has further boosted the club’s charge up the table. The 24-year-old scored 17 goals for Il Toro this season. Along with Cerci, the two have accounted for 64 percent of Torino’s goals.
Despite their attacking duo, Torino are not as high up the table as their strikers’ potency might suggest. Il Toro have already one goal shy (45) of their total from last year.
The problem remains that they have conceded almost as many (40) as they have scored. The fact that they only collect an average of 1.35 points per game, despite their prolific attack, does offer some explanation. After all teams with similar goal tallies like Parma (51), Inter (49), and Fiorentina (49) all sit well above Torino in sixth, fifth, and fourth respectively.
For a team that was just promoted last season however, Torino coach Giampiero Ventura won’t be too fussed over his team’s current league position. Indeed, for Torino’s standards, this has been an admirable season and 10th a commendable league position.
With seven games to go, there is still a chance for Torino to improve on their current league position and actually achieve a Serie A top half finish. With sharpened horns, the Turin bull will need to gain more stability on its hindquarters though. Cesare Bovo, Kamil Glik, and Matteo Darmian have all done well this year but will need to develop into a more cohesive defensive unit.
There is definitely one front Torino will need to improve on however, and that is its approach to the Turin derby. After losing all four encounters of this fixture since their promotion, Juventus remain the one matador Il Toro have yet failed to conquer.
You can follow Ogo Sylla on Twitter at: @RossonerOgo_3
