The Hard Tackle picks three players who can make a positive impact when Inter Milan and Juventus clash at San Siro on Sunday.
Sunday is an action-packed day in Serie A, with three eye-catching fixtures coming our way. The proceedings on the night will conclude at San Siro, where Inter Milan will host Juventus, with the top spot on the table on the line.
Just one point separates the top two teams in the Serie A standings. Inter Milan came into the 2023/24 season after two sub-par league campaigns. But they have been exceptional thus far this term, rising to the top of Serie A while already winning the Supercoppa Italiana. They have also given a good account of themselves in the UEFA Champions League.
As for Juventus, the Bianconeri came into the 2023/24 season after a controversial few months that saw them attracting a sanction for financial irregularity. But Massimiliano Allegri’s men have put that behind them to rise to second on the table. And with Juve only a point behind Inter, a title challenge is on the cards.
With barely anything separating Inter Milan and Juventus, Sunday’s game has high stakes attached to it. With that in mind, The Hard Tackle lists three players who can singlehandedly tip the scales in their team’s favour this weekend.
Dusan Vlahovic
Our list begins with an offensive theme, with the two star strikers getting us underway. We start with Dusan Vlahovic, who has done well to bounce back after a dreadful 2022/23 campaign with Juventus.
The Serbian international endured a hit-and-miss (but largely miss) season, although Juventus’s off-field controversy overshadowed his dismal campaign. He has not set the stage alight as well as he would have liked this season. There have been patches where he has gone missing and left a lot to be desired.
But the 24-year-old has managed a decent tally of 12 goals and two assists in 20 Serie A outings. The last few weeks have seen some top-notch performances from the former Fiorentina striker, who has become a talismanic attacker for Juventus.
So, it is no wonder that he has become the subject of Premier League bigwigs like Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United. But Vlahovic will be focused on the task at hand this season as he looks to take Juventus back to the summit of Italian football. Another game-changing performance can make that happen this weekend.
Lautaro Martinez
Inter Milan will hope to stand in Juventus’s way until the end of the 2023/24 season. And Lautaro Martinez will be the pivotal figure for the Nerazzurri to keep the Bianconeri at bay in the coming months.
The Argentine international has taken on the mantle of club captaincy since Samir Handanovic’s departure in the summer. The 39-year-old called time on his illustrious career at the end of the 2023/24 season, leaving Martinez to take over the armband from him.
The 26-year-old has embraced the added responsibility, rising to the top of the Serie A goalscoring charts with 19 goals in as many games. With Martinez leading by example, he will be the go-to man for Simone Inzaghi on Sunday as the hosts look to put a spanner in the works for Juventus.
Adrien Rabiot
Our list ends with a midfielder, which might seem unusual. But Adrien Rabiot gets the nod to round up the feature due to his ability to raise the bar in the biggest games. In addition, one cannot rule him out of producing a goalscoring effort in such outings.
The French international has a solid tally of three goals and three assists in 18 Serie A appearances thus far this term. Those strikes have come in tricky fixtures, most recently against AS Roma in December.
With his last goal coming six weeks ago, the 28-year-old will feel he is due to find the back of the net sooner or later. But more importantly, Rabiot will help keep things tight in the middle of the park and neutralise Nicolo Barella. That will, in turn, minimise the impact of Lautaro Martinez. So, he might be Juventus’s most important figure this weekend.
