Serie A champions in waiting Juventus escaped derby defeat at the hands of their city rivals Torino thanks to a late goal from Gonzalo Higuain which helped them to a 1-1 draw at the Juventus Stadium.
‎Adem Ljajic gave Torino the lead in the 52nd minute but five minutes later they were reduced to 10 men following the sending off of Afriyie Acquah for two bookable offences.
Juventus made use of the numerical advantage as Torino tired out late into the game, which allowed Gonzalo Higuain the space and time to draw his team level two minutes into time added on after regulation time.
Despite the disappointment of conceding late into the game, the performance of Nigerian midfielder Joel Obi was one of the positives for Torino in the tie.
Obi was introduced for the injured Daniel Baselli in the 76th minutes, and the former Inter Milan midfielder proved his worth with a solid showing in the final 14 minutes of the game.
The highlight of his performance was a clean tackle late into the game to deny Juventus a clear chance at goal. Obi also helped his team keep possession under pressure with neat and tidy touches.
Osas Mahawi
