SERIE A MATCH PREVIEWS: Juventus Squares Off With Torino
Copyright � 1999 Nando Media
Copyright � 1999 Agence France-Presse
ROME (November 5, 1999 10:57 a.m. EST http://www.sportserver.com) - Second-placed Juventus will face local rivals Torino for the first Turin derby in more than three
years at the Delle Alpi stadium on Sunday (1930 GMT).
With Torino languishing in Serie B for the past three
seasons, Sunday's clash will be the first meeting between the
two sides since Juve's 2-1 victory in 1996.
"When we were in the second division, our fans asked us to
get back up quickly just to be able play the derby," said
Torino striker Marco Ferrante, looking ahead to the 215th
meeting between the great rivals.
Although Juve are one-point behind Lazio at the top of Serie
A and pushing for the title and Torino are ninth, determined
only to avoid relegation, Turin derbies are notoriously
difficult to predict.
In the 1994/95 season, when Juve easily won the title, Torino were the only side to beat them twice.
Injury will deny Torino's Fabio Pecchia the chance to play
against his old club while manager Emiliano Mondonico looks like moving Fabio Galante out of defence to man-mark Zinedine Zidane.
It will be the first time French World Cup winner Zidane has
experienced the unique atmosphere of the Turin derby.
For Juventus, Dutchman Edgar Davids keeps his place in
midfield at the expense of Nigerian Sunday Oliseh while Gianluca Zambrotta replaces Gianluca Pessotto.
Other matches on the ninth weekend of the season (1400 GMT
Sunday unless stated):
Cagliari (18) vs. Fiorentina (12) SATURDAY 1930
Without a win in five matches and with Italy striker Enrico
Chiesa out for a month with a torn thigh muscle, Fiorentina
travel to Sardinia looking for a first win there since 1965.
Cagliari have yet to win this season. Luis Oliveira's
sending-off at Roma last Sunday denied the Cagliari striker a
chance to play against his former club.
Perugia (6) vs. Bari (15) SATURDAY 1400
Perugia have not won at home to Bari since a 2-0 victory in
the second division 25 years ago. Carlo Mazzone's side are
unbeaten at home this season although Japanese playmaker
Hidetoshi Nakata will be absent on international duty. Bari are
without a win in four matches.
Bologna (10) vs. Inter Milan (4)
Christian Vieri is doubtful with a foot injury as Inter,
with just one point from their last three matches, seek revenge
against the side that beat them in last season's UEFA Cup
play-off. Inter have won five of their last six matches at the
Dall'Ara. Bologna have won both their first two matches under
new manager Francesco Guidolin with the help of three own-goals. Ex-Juventus playmaker Giancarlo Marocchi returns from injury.
Lazio (1) vs. Verona (14)
The league leaders defend a six-month unbeaten home record
against Verona who have not won at the Olympic stadium since
1984 when they claimed their lone Serie A title. Lazio captain
Alessandro Nesta returns from a four-match absence and Argentine Diego Simeone replaces suspended compatriot Matias Almeyda.
Lecce (13) vs. Udinese (8)
Udinese, who reached the third round of the UEFA Cup for the
first time on Thursday, have beaten Lecce just once in 10
previous meetings and lost eight times. Lecce have lost their
last two matches, including last Sunday's defeat to Perugia,
their first on their own Via del Mare ground this season.
AC Milan (3) vs. Venezia (17)
Manager Alberto Zaccheroni has been given a month to restore
crisis-hit Milan's 1999 title winning form and starts his trial
against a side who have already dumped their manager.
Second-from-bottom Venezia, without a win at the San Siro in 57
years, replaced Luciano Spalletti in midweek with Giuseppe
Materazzi. Liberian George Weah has a knee injury.
Piacenza (16) vs. Parma (7)
Parma return to a ground where a 6-3 win last January
briefly installed Alberto Malesani's side as title favourites.
The visitors, who have only lost this local derby once in 14
years, are unbeaten in four matches. But Brazilian Marcio
Amoroso is injured. Piacenza have not lost at home since April.
Reggina (11) vs. AS Roma (5)
Roma have never met Reggina and never won a match in the
region of Calabria, although a 0-0 draw at Catanzaro in 1984
helped the visitors on their way to the title. Although both
sides have not won for three matches, Roma manager Fabio Capello and Reggina's Franco Colombo will field the same sides that last Sunday drew with Cagliari and lost at Udinese respectively.
