Bonucci desperate to deliver record for Buffon

Leonardo Bonucci is desperate to help Gianluigi Buffon make Serie A history when Juventus face off against Torino in Sunday’s derby.

The veteran goalkeeper will break Sebastiano Rossi’s record of 929 minutes without conceding in Italy’s top flight if he is not beaten during the first four minutes of the match.

Bonucci has hailed his team-mate as the best in his position that football has ever seen and wants to help him set a record which may never be beaten.

“We’ll give everything to help Gigi achieve his record,” he told Sky Italia ahead of the clash at Stadio Olimpico. 

“He’s the best goalkeeper in the history of the game and we want to aid him not only in surpassing it but also sustaining it beyond Sunday.”

Juve were minutes away from knocking Bayern Munich out of the Champions League this week, only for Thomas Muller to make it 2-2 late in the second leg on Wednesday before Pep Guardiola’s side scored twice more in extra-time to reach the quarter-finals.

Bonucci felt his side’s performance should have been rewarded with a place in the last eight but feels the defeat will serve them will going forward.

“Our performance was one of a top team and based on that, we deserved to be in the last eight of the Champions League,” he said. “Matches like that are always likely to swing on one single moment and that’s what happened in Munich.

“It’s important now that we keep focused on the improvements we’ve made recently on all fronts. The Juve of last season was one founded on experience and but this one is built on genuine quality and we are only likely to grow further.

“Losing was a tough blow to take but a necessary one for our development as a team. I was proud to be a Juventus player at full-time; even if we were eliminated, our attitude was first class.

“We’ll tackle the derby with the same hunger that has set us apart from the chasing pack in the last four years. On Sunday, we will need to put our pride on the shelf, start afresh and prove that we have learnt from our mistakes by putting in a strong showing at the Olimpico.

“In a way we are fortunate to have this chance to bounce back against Torino of all teams as it was the derby in October that set us off on this magnificent league run in the first place.”