Serie A: Torino faces Juventus ‘curse’

The Serie A weekend kicked off Thursday with Genoa facing Como, an early start due to an event in Genoa over the weekend. This opener is followed by a lineup of intriguing weekend clashes, offering both key standings points and reunions with former clubs seeking redemption.

One such matchup is D’Aversa’s Empoli visiting Lecce, the club that let him go after a headbutt incident involving Verona’s Henry. Despite the incident, his season with Lecce was positive, ending in top-flight survival. The teams' current standings, however, couldn’t be more different: D’Aversa’s Empoli is showing solid form with four points in their last two games, while Lecce urgently needs points to escape the relegation zone.

A direct battle for survival awaits Venezia and Parma, both desperate for crucial points. Venezia had extra rest to prepare for this home game, while Parma faces notable absences, including Bernabé and Hernani. In recent seasons, Parma has struggled in Venice, especially against Pohjanpalo, who has scored three goals and provided three assists against the Gialloblu.

Also on today’s lineup, Cagliari takes on AC Milan at Domus Arena. Milan aims to keep the momentum from their Champions League win over Real Madrid, with a rejuvenated Leao expected to return to the starting lineup after three games on the bench. Later, Torino will face off against Juventus in a Turin derby. Remarkably, Torino has not managed to defeat Juventus on their turf since April 9, 1995—nearly thirty years ago—resulting in 15 losses and just 4 draws since. It’s a tough period for Vanoli’s squad, with four losses in their last five games, while Motta’s Juventus is improving and looking to keep pace with the league leaders.

Sunday night’s highlight match: Inter vs. Napoli. Antonio Conte and Romelu Lukaku return to San Siro as former Inter players. While Conte is fondly remembered for leading the team to a championship, Lukaku’s departure left a more complicated legacy. Beyond the backstory, this promises to be a tight, high-stakes game with potential implications for the title race. A Napoli win would strengthen their title hopes, while a victory for Inter would affirm their resurgence and send a signal to their challengers.

Sunday begins with Atalanta hosting Udinese. La Dea is among the league’s hottest teams, a fact reinforced by their recent Champions League performance. Fiorentina, looking to bounce back from a European defeat, hosts Verona and aims to stay near the top of the standings. Roma-Bologna also brings high expectations as Juric and Italiano seek redemption. Juric’s position with Roma is under scrutiny, with a recent draw against Union Saint Gilloise doing little to ease the pressure. Bologna, coming off a significant but losing Champions League effort, seeks a third consecutive league win to climb the standings.

Wrapping up the matchday, Monza hosts Lazio in what is a special match for Alessandro Nesta. The Monza coach, who grew up in Lazio’s ranks and debuted in Serie A with them, now finds himself on the opposite side. It’s a game that holds extra significance, especially after he joined Monza following an impressive survival campaign with Reggiana, having previously been linked with a Lazio move that eventually went to Marco Baroni.