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Juventus-Deportivo Preview

02/24/2002. Juventus and Torino gave life to a true derby on Sunday evening, in which class, passion and emotion came together to gift the Derby Della Mole viewers with a fantastic match of football. 

The Granata started the match on the offensive, and after only four minutes they helplessly asked for a penalty for a Ferrara foul on Ferrante.

But referee Paparesta sayed to play on and only five minutes later Juventus took the lead on their first real chance of the match. Davids faked out Vergassola on the right side of the pitch and sent a cross at the far post that Trezeguet headed home with ease.

This was to be the only real shot of the first half taken by Lippi's men, as they left the field to Torino, and just tried to administer their lead. 

The tactic worked during the entire first half as Torino were only able to threaten Buffon with respective outside shots by Asta and Comotto.

The first forty five mintues of play where no where close to the level of excitement envisioned before the clash, but what happened after the break undoubtedly cancelled the earlier yawns.

Moments after the game resumed, Nedved had a golden chance to double his team's lead, but a fantastic defensive play by Mezzano took the ball away from the Czech international just as he was about to drive the ball towards the Torino net.

After this scare, Torino pushed Juventus behind their midfield line again, but it wasn't until the 65th minute that the equalizer arrived.

Substitute wing Maspero, who had just come on for a tired Scarchilli, found Ferrante on the far post, where the Torino striker majestically hit the back of the net with a low drive.

Juventus appeared stunned, but Torino were incapable of threatening the three man Bianconero defense, especially because they were forced to play with a sole striker after Ferrante limped off the pitch in the 73rd minute.

However this event allowed the former Inter forward's replacement, Benoit Cauet, to become the matches unexpected hero as on 79 minutes he netted a Lucarelli invitation to hand Torino the incredible lead.

The emotional climax wasn't reached yet as only sixty seconds later Ferrara headed a Nedved freekick on the crossbar. Two minutes after the woodwork shook, Bucci made a great save on a Trezeguet edge of the box strike, and it really looked as if the former Serie A leaders were doomed to defeat.

But another substitute was ready to steal the show as Enzo Maresca, who came on for Davids earlier in the half, rose to meet a long Thuram ball, and fantastically headed home from the penalty spot when less than four minutes were left to be played!

After scoring his first ever Serie A goal, the Italy Under 21 midfielder mimicked Ferrante's 'Bull Horn' celebration infront of the Torino bench, and this caused a furious reaction by the Granata players when the final whistle blew.

Even if Torino were caught in the dying moments of the match, they still were able to hold the super-favoured Bianconeri to a draw that allows Inter and Roma to regain the lead of the Serie A table, one point in front of the Italian Old Lady.