A maiden victory in front of Juve fans inside the Allianz Stadium was not achieved after Torino frustrated Spalletti's troops in a scoreless stalemate on Saturday night. This was the first goal-less Derby della Mole at Juve's ground since 2008.
After being held 1-1 by Sporting Lisbon in their midweek Champions League clash, Juventus fans were expecting more bite against Torino where a victory would have secured bragging rights. Yet the same ugly issues were all too apparent, as the wastefulness in the attacking third continued.
The starting line-up looked promising when it was announced that Spalletti would largely field the same starters that dominated against Sporting Lisbon. The only change saw the often rash Federico Gatti swapped in favor of the experienced former Italy international Daniele Rugani in defense.
The biggest omission was Filip Kostic, who remained glued to the bench throughout the match despite a recent streak of promising performances.
Torino frustrated Juventus
With the Juve fans displaying a torrent of chants and screams of passion, the players reciprocated by pinning Torino back and commanding the middle of the pitch thanks to Manuel Locatelli and Khephren Thuram.
The Bianconeri's dominance on the ball did not bear any fruit as the Torino defense stood firm, not putting a single foot wrong. Behind this wall, goalkeeper Alberto Paleari was impeccable, making a string of saves.
Franciso Conceicao's 40th-minute header towards the bottom corner was saved by the fingertips of the Torino keeper. Juventus constantly attacked, with a whipped in cross from Kenan Yildiz that hurtled towards Dusan Vlahovic, only for the headed effort to be smothered once more.
Spalletti's troops ended the first half with an impressive 75% possession, owning the momentum of the match and yielding a total of nine shots compared to Torino's single effort. The only problem was no goal to show for Juve's superiority.
Offside saved Juve's blushes
A mismatched first half demanded a goal, but the threat of Torino remained with the Maroons historically not requiring many chances to bag a goal.
Suspended Torino manager Marco Baroni decided to roll the dice and make two proactive changes from the stands, bringing on Scotland striker Che Adams and on-loan Inter Milan midfielder Kristjan Asllani. The changes appeared to make an immediate impact as Giovanni Simeone found the back of the net in the 47th-minute, only for his effort to be ruled out for offside.
Torino were beginning to grow in confidence, earning more chances while Juve continued to squander theirs due to aimless passes and wild crosses. Home keeper Michele Di Gregorio was forced into making an incredible save, diving low for an effort by Adams in the 62nd minute.
With the game ebbing away, Spalletti sent on the attacking duo of Edon Zhegrova and Jonathan David, allowing Weston McKennie more freedom in the attacking third. The subs swung the game back into Juve's favor as the Turin titans continued their hunt for an all-important goal.
Spalletti's efforts to win the match, however, were thwarted by Torino's defense. Substitutes Vasilije Adzic and Zhegrova made an impact, but not enough to score the all elusive goal.
Back to the drawing board
Perhaps the international break has arrived at a perfect time for Spalletti, who looks stuck for ideas as his Juventus team's run of form grinds to a stutter. Although still undefeated, two home draws to opponents of lesser quality displays worrying signs.
Both axed Juventus head coaches Thiago Motta and Igor Tudor were unable to regularly secure wins, which are expected from any Bianconeri boss.
On the positive, Juventus kept a rare clean sheet and have shown dominance under Spalletti, keeping large swathes of possession without conceding many shots on target. The only thing lacking is a flurry of goals, which could be put down to the lack of quality up front. Apart from Vlahovic, the Bianconeri strikers look unlikely to score.
With two weeks to ponder before the fixture at lowly Fiorentina, Spalletti has time to evaluate his squad, and he may have his work cut out to get the team finally firing on all cylinders.
JUVENTUS: Di Gregorio - Koopmeiners, Rugani (Gatti 45), Kalulu - Cambiaso, Thuram, Locatelli (Adzic 86), McKennie - Conceicao (Zhegrova, 65), Yildiz (Openda, 84) - Vlahovic (David, 65). Subs: Perin, Felipe, Mario, Rouhi, Scagila, Kostic, Miretti