One of the most iconic fixtures on the Serie A calendar plays out on Sunday as Juventus and Inter lock horns in the 185th edition of the famous Derby d’Italia. A mouth-watering showdown at the Allianz Stadium has all the makings of a top-table six-pointer, with only two points separating the arch-rivals ahead of the kick-off.
Three years of pain and suffering could finally pay off this season as Juventus seem hellbent on wrestling back domestic dominance. Without the distraction of European football for the first time in more than a decade, Massimiliano Allegri’s men have gone from strength to strength at the start of the new league campaign.
Federico Gatti and Daniele Rugani came as unlikely sources of goals to inspire Juventus to a 2-1 home victory over newcomers Cagliari on the eve of November’s international break. That result forms part of the Turin heavyweights’ emphatic league start, highlighted by a formidable 92% unbeaten ratio across the opening 12 Serie A rounds (W9, D2, L1).
Not many sides can knock Juventus off their perch. But if there’s anyone capable of achieving that feat, it’s table-topping Inter. Simone Inzaghi’s high-flying side rounded off a four-game winning streak in league action with a 2-0 home victory over promoted Frosinone before the international break.
Federico Dimarco’s deadlock-breaker was one for the history books, making him one of the top contenders for this year’s Puskas Award. But more importantly, his screamer from the halfway line set the tone for Inter’s sixth consecutive victory across all competitions. With confidence at an all-time high, the visitors will unlikely be intimidated by Juve’s impressive form.
Match Preview
Juventus
Despite an abysmal 2022/23 campaign, Juventus dispatched Inter in both league encounters last term without conceding. A 2-0 win in this corresponding fixture was their fourth in five Serie A meetings in Turin since 2018, three of which came ‘to nil.’ That puts an emphasis on defensive solidity that has been the backbone of Bianconeri’s success this season.
In addition to only conceding seven times in Serie A in 2022/23, Juventus have pulled off six clean sheets in their last seven league outings. Allegri’s conservative approach has paid dividends, yet it doesn’t come free of charge. Defensive-minded philosophy has taken its toll in the front third, with the record-time Italian champions averaging just 1.58 goals per league game.
Inter
Inter avenged last season’s league fiasco against Juventus with a crucial 2-1 aggregate win in the Coppa Italia semi-finals en route to conquering the competition for the second campaign running. However, the Allianz Stadium hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for Nerazzurri over the past decade. They’ve only won once in their last 14 competitive games against their eternal rivals at this venue.
Unlike his Juventus counterpart, Inzaghi has found a perfect balance between defense and attack. Not only are Inter the division’s most prolific side with 29 goals, but they’ve also conceded a league-low six. And it gets better on the road, where they’ve won all five Serie A matches via a combined score of 12-1, most recently overcoming Atalanta 2-1 in Bergamo.
Player to Watch: Federico Chiesa
Chiesa has four Serie A goals under his belt this season, but you’d need to go back to late September for the last time he rattled the net. But he might have rebuilt his confidence with a match-winning display in Italy’s 5-2 demolition of North Macedonia.
Player to Watch: Lautaro Martinez
Inter need a man for the big occasion, and the leading Serie A goalscorer fits the bill. With 12 goals, Martinez leads the scoring charts in Italy. He also boasts five goal contributions against Juventus (G3, A2).
Team News
Juventus head into proceedings plagued by injuries and suspensions. Danilo, Mattia De Sciglio, and Timothy Weah are still in the infirmary, while Alex Sandro and Manuel Locatelli are close to full recovery. As for Paul Pogba and Nicolo Fagioli, it’s uncertain when they could return to action.
On the other hand, Inter will be without two defensive pillars as Alessandro Bastoni and Benjamin Pavard remain on the sidelines injured. Inzaghi can at least hope to welcome ex-Juventus stalwart Juan Cuadrado back to the fold following a lengthy absence due to an Achilles tendon problem.
Juventus vs Inter Potential Lineups
Juventus (3-5-2): Wojciech Szczesny; Federico Gatti, Gleison Bremer, Daniele Rugani; Filip Kostic, Adrien Rabiot, Fabio Miretti, Manuel Locatelli, Weston McKennie; Federico Chiesa, Dusan Vlahovic.
Inter (3-5-2): Yann Sommer; Matteo Darmian, Stefan de Vrij, Francesco Acerbi; Federico Dimarco, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Hakan Calhanoglu, Nicolo Barella, Denzel Dumfries; Marcus Thuram, Lautaro Martinez.
Juventus vs Inter Prediction
It’s more than just bragging rights at stake here. A win would fire Juventus to the top of the tree, while Inter could go five points clear at the summit should they defy their perennial struggles in Turin. On that basis, it’s only fair to assume a keenly-contested, low-scoring encounter is in store.
Prediction: Draw
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