Juventus host cross town rivals Torino at the Juventus Stadium in the Coppa Italia on Wednesday night, with the winners on the night progressing through to the quarter-finals of this seasons competition.
The Bianconeri will be full of confidence heading into the game on Wednesday evening following their sixth league win in a row on Sunday night, defeating Fiorentina 3-1 at the Juventus Stadium to lift the Old Lady up to fourth place in the Serie A standings.
Massimiliano Allegri’s men enter this seasons edition of the Coppa Italia for the first time at the round of 16 stage, with the eight top ranked sides from the 2014/2015 Serie A campaign receiving a bye from the earlier rounds.
The Bianconeri will be looking for their 11th Coppa Italia title if successful this season, having won the competition for the tenth time last campaign. Before last seasons success the Old Lady had gone 20 years without winning the Coppa Italia, and success has been sporadic throughout the decades winning in 1938, ’42, ’59, ’60, ’65, ’79, ’83, ’90, ’95 and 2015.
The Granata, meanwhile, weren’t in action at the weekend following their game against Sassuolo being suspended due to heavy fog, but did draw 1-1 with Roma in Turin the previous weekend in their last outing.
Il Toro have already played twice in this seasons Coppa Italia, defeating Serie B side Pescara 4-1 in August in round three at the Stadio Olimpico, while also recording the same shoreline against another Serie B side Cesena two weeks ago. The Granata have won the Coppa Italia on five previous occasions in 1936, ’43, ’68, ’71 and on the last occasion in 1993, beating their fierce rivals Juventus on away goals after two legs in the semi-final along the way that year.
The two sides have only met sixteen times in the Coppa Italia over the years, with that victory for Torino in 1993 being the last time the teams met in the competition. Indeed Toro will be looking to keep up a fine recent record in the Coppa Italia over the Bianconeri on Wednesday, having knocked their neighbours out in 1980, 1982 and the 1988 editions.
Allegri is expected to make a number of changes to his side that won on Sunday, with reserve goalkeeper Neto set to start between the posts, while Daniele Rugani, Alex Sandro, Simone Zaza and Alvaro Morata are all set to start the game.
Torino will be without Italy under-21 international Marco Benassi who will miss the game with a thigh injury.
Form Guide: Juventus (W-W-W-L-W) Torino (L-W-W-W-D)
Expected Starting XIs
Juventus: Neto; Rugani, Bonucci, Chiellini; Cuadrado, Sturaro, Marchisio, Pogba, Alex Sandro; Zaza, Morata.
Torino: Padelli, Bovo, Glik, Moretti, Zappacosta, Acquah, Vives, Baselli, Molinaro, Quagliarella, Belotti.
