Inter play host to Juventus at a sold-out San Siro in the conclusion of Sunday’s Serie A action as two heavyweights clash in the Derby d’Italia.
The Nerazzurri edged into the final eight of the Champions League on Tuesday after featuring in a stalemate in Porto. The Italians kept clean sheets in both legs to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2011 but will need to improve upon their poor domestic form if they are to defeat the Old Lady on Sunday.
Andre Onana and Denzel Dumfries were the heroes for Inter midweek, with the goalkeeper making a number of fine saves and the Dutchman making a goal-line clearance to see them through. Not forgetting to mention the help from the woodwork. Defense has been Inter’s strength throughout their European campaign thus far but not so much back home in Italy, especially away from the Giuseppe Meazza.
The Bianconeri were able to advance to the quarter-finals of the Europa League after defeating Freiburg 2-0 in Germany on Thursday and have won their last three consecutive matches in all competitions, so they enter this one in good form.
However, Juventus did lose 1-0 away to Roma in their last away match in Serie A, with Moise Kean being dismissed for a ridiculous challenge late on after being on the pitch for less than a minute. Massimiliano Allegri’s side are still very much in the hunt for European football next season, despite receiving a 15-point deduction. It remains to be seen whether they will get those points back.
Preview
Inter
Simone Inzaghi has led his side to just two wins in their last five in Serie A and a 2-1 defeat away at Spezia last Friday epitomized their inconsistency this term. However, their home matches are where the Nerazzurri have excelled and they are currently on a five-match win streak at the San Siro, keeping clean sheets in four of those last five encounters.
Inter will have to find the three points against Juve without Alessandro Bastoni who picked up a thigh injury against Porto midweek. Despite Milan Skriniar making his return on Tuesday with ten minutes to go, the defender is still not up to full fitness so Inzaghi will be dealing with plenty of defensive issues ahead of the match.
Player to Watch: Henrikh Mkhitaryan
The Armenian midfielder has made Inzaghi’s starting lineup for the last 19 consecutive matches and his experience has been crucial for Inter in the middle of the park so far this term. After originally playing as more of an attacker throughout the majority of his career, the 34-year-old has adapted his game, as his time at the top level heads towards its twilight. His defensive ability was highlighted in Inter’s performance against Porto midweek and he is set to continue in a gigantic clash on Sunday.
Juventus
After recording a 2-0 victory in Turin in the reverse fixture earlier this season, Juventus will be keen to do the double over Inter. However, they have failed to win at the San Siro when playing the Nerazzurri since 2019 in Serie A. Goals from Argentina duo Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain secured a 2-1 victory that day, however, the pair are no longer with the Bianconeri and they now rely on the likes of Dusan Vlahovic and Angel Di Maria to get the job done offensively.
If it wasn’t for the 15-point deduction, Juventus would actually be three points ahead of Inter and would just about have an outside chance at the Scudetto. After a fairly poor start to the campaign which saw the Old Lady pick up just three wins from their opening nine matches, they entered an eight-game win streak, with Allegri seemingly being able to get the best out of Juve once more.
Player to Watch: Adrien Rabiot
After scoring a brace against Sampdoria last weekend, the French midfielder continues to add to his impressive seven-goal tally in Serie A so far this season. Adrien Rabiot is enjoying his best ever season in terms of goal contributions throughout his entire career and he will be key to the midfield battle on Sunday.
A Rabiot rocket ?#JuveSamp pic.twitter.com/bapOnxUNLR
— JuventusFC ???? (@juventusfcen) March 12, 2023
Team News
Due to the injury to Bastoni and Skriniar still on the mend, Inter’s defense will be thin for the derby match. Matteo Darmian will likely continue on the right-hand side of the three-man defense, whilst Francesco Acerbi is the most likely to move over to the left. That means either Stefan De Vrij or Danilo D’Ambrosio are the two options to complete the back line.
Robin Gosens also remains an injury doubt and has been training individually after missing the Porto match, meaning that Federico Dimarco is expected to continue over on the left flank.
Juventus will be without Keane due to suspension for this one, whilst captain Leonardo Bonucci, Alex Sandro, Paul Pogba and Arkadiusz Milik are all doubts due to injury. However, Milik’s recovery is progressing well and the Polish striker could return to the squad here.
Sandro has been absent from the previous two games after being forced off in the first half of the first leg against Freiburg. Allegri had been deploying him as a left-sided centre back and either Danilo, Federico Gatti or Daniele Rugani could fill in, especially due to the likely absence of Bonucci as well.
Inter vs Juventus Potential Lineups
Inter (3-5-2): Andre Onana; Matteo Darmian, Stefan De Vrij, Francesco Acerbi; Denzel Dumfries, Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Federico Dimarco; Lautaro Martinez, Edin Dzeko
Juventus (3-5-1-1): Wojciech Szczesny; Danilo, Bremer, Federico Gatti; Juan Cuadrado, Nicolo Fagioli, Manuel Locatelli, Adrien Rabiot, Filip Kostic; Angel Di Maria; Dusan Vlahovic
Inter vs Juventus Prediction
Inter’s excellent home form has seen them come out as narrow favorites here but the injuries to their defense will play a big role in the matchup. Juventus are by no means perfect and are dealing with defensive injury issues of their own.
It is set-up to be an enthralling clash on Sunday and we could see plenty of goals in a fixture that is certainly no stranger to them. We’re backing a 2-2 draw in the Derby d’Italia.
Prediction: Draw