The Derby della Mole between Torino and Juventus was thrown into chaos on Sunday evening as violent clashes between ultras forced a lengthy delay, casting a shadow over a pivotal Serie A fixture with Champions League implications. The match, originally scheduled for 20:45 CET, eventually kicked off at 21:45 after more than an hour of uncertainty, during which a Juventus supporter was hospitalized with a head injury and large sections of the away end were evacuated.
The tension had been building throughout the day, with reports of skirmishes outside the stadium before the teams were due to emerge. According to early reconstructions, a 45-year-old Juventus fan suffered a head trauma, likely from a glass bottle or tear gas canister, and was transported first to the Mauriziano hospital and then to the CTO trauma center. The fan's condition was not life-threatening, but the incident prompted Juventus ultras to demand the match be suspended. They gathered under the away section, chanting "Sospendete la partita" and, at one point, threatening a pitch invasion if the game went ahead.
Juventus captain Manuel Locatelli and several teammates approached the curva to speak with the supporters, while managing director Jean-Claude Blanc – referred to in some reports as Comolli – was seen liaising with stadium security officials. Blanc later told Sky Sport: "There is our fan in hospital who is not well and our fans are not happy. They are telling him not to play the match, maybe. After the match I will go to the hospital to speak with the supporter." The incident echoed previous derbies plagued by crowd trouble, reigniting debates about whether such high-risk fixtures should ever be scheduled at night.
This was no ordinary derby for Juventus. Entering the day in sixth place, they were chasing a victory that could keep alive their fading hopes of a top-four finish and a spot in next season’s Champions League. With Milan and Como also in the hunt, Luciano Spalletti’s men knew that anything less than three points would crush their ambitions. The coach had stressed the magnitude of the occasion pre-match: "I expect a performance worthy of what happened this week, worthy of the importance of the match. Because it’s a derby, and consequently I expect this reaction."
Spalletti, however, was deprived of two key players. Young star Kenan Yildiz was sidelined with an injury, while defender Gleison Bremer served a suspension, forcing the manager to shuffle his lineup. Juventus lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation: Perin in goal; Kalulu, Gatti, Kelly, and Cambiaso across the back; Locatelli and Thuram in midfield; Conceição, McKennie, and Boga supporting lone striker Vlahović. Torino, under Roberto D’Aversa, opted for a 3-4-1-2: Paleari between the posts; Coco, Ismajli, and Ebosse in defense; Pedersen and Obrador as wing-backs, with Ilkhan and Gineitis central; Vlašić behind the strike pair of Simeone and Zapata. D’Aversa had called on the home crowd to act as a twelfth man, sensing an opportunity to derail their city rivals' season.
When the teams finally emerged, the atmosphere was surreal. The Juventus section was empty after the ultras' walkout, and the match began with an eerie quiet. The delayed kick-off meant the game lost synchronicity with the other decisive Serie A fixtures, adding another layer of disarray. Within the first five minutes, Torino nearly struck first: from a corner, the ball dropped to Nikola Vlašić on the edge of the box, and his fierce left-footed volley was blocked by the Juve defense. Moments later, Juve threatened on the counter, as Jérémie Boga broke free and attempted to release Andrea Cambiaso down the flank, but the pass skipped out of play.
As the match settled, the weight of the occasion was palpable. Juventus’s Champions League fate was not entirely in their own hands; even a win would require favorable results from Milan and Como’s matches to secure a top-four spot. Spalletti’s tenure had already come under scrutiny, and failure to qualify would intensify the pressure on the club’s project. For Torino, the derby offered a chance to play spoiler and claim local bragging rights, adding to the narrative of a turbulent season.
Despite the off-field drama, the early exchanges suggested a fiercely contested derby. The hosts, buoyed by a passionate home support in the other stands, looked purposeful, while Juventus appeared determined to channel the chaos into a statement performance. The match was a microcosm of a campaign that had lurched from one crisis to another for the Bianconeri, yet here lay a final opportunity to salvage something tangible.
As the minutes ticked away, the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino bore witness to a fixture that will be remembered as much for the events outside the lines as for the football itself. With the Champions League places still undecided and the Derby della Mole again tarnished by fan violence, the night underscored the urgent need for Italian football to address its ongoing issues with supporter disorder.
Based on reporting from Tuttosport.
