Inter Milan makes the trip to Turin to take on Juventus in this edition of the Derby d’Italia, with title ramifications on the line for the Nerazzuri.
Juventus have shown ample signs that they are ready to march forward rather than stutter in some important games. Following a disastrous season dominated by their propensity to draw games, the Bianconeri are currently on the mend and stitching together a good enough winning run.
In the most recent game in the Champions League, they were able to see off PSV Eindhoven on home soil as goals from Weston McKennie and Samuel Mbangula proved enough to take a slender advantage to Enidhoven for the return leg of their playoffs round, as they will bid to reach the round of 16.
Back on to league matters, Juventus are coming into this big Derby d’Italia at the back of consecutive wins over Empoli and Como, with Randal Kolo Muani the star of the show on both occasions. Now they face Inter Milan at home, as Thiago Motta will want to stake a claim at another chance to push for a higher place in the table.
While Juventus’ immediate target would be to get back into Champions League places, Inter Milan have something bigger at stake ahead of this clash. The Nerazzuri are contesting a tightly fought title race, with Napoli sitting only a point above them at the top of the standings.
Simone Inzaghi will want to stay as close as possible to leaders Napoli, and that would require them to beat Juventus away from home in this upcoming Derby d’Italia. A loss or dropped points is what Napoli will be hoping from such a big game, but Inter Milan have the tools to make a statement win away from home.
Inter Milan does not have the absolute momentum that Inzaghi would have wanted before such a big game. They have drawn to AC Milan recently and followed that up with a stunning 3-0 loss to Fiorentina before beating the Viola in the reverse fixture. Inzaghi will want a total performance against Juventus to keep pace with leaders Napoli.
Team News & Tactics
Juventus
Motta will keep an eye on the second leg with PSV Eindhoven, which could influence his team’s selection for this one. The Bianconeri boss went with a changed lineup in midweek, meaning some of the regulars who sat on the bench for that clash could return to the fold.
For instance, Khephren Thuram and Francisco Conceicao are all set for returns. Those changes could see Weston McKennie moving back into the left-back slot to decide his goalscoring display against PSV Eindhoven. Federico Gatti and Renato Veiga are expected to play in central defence, with Nicola Savona set to occupy the right-back slot.
Manuel Locatelli and Thuram are expected back in the midfield setting, with Douglas Luiz likely to make way for the latter. On the injury front, there are no fresh problems, with Piere Kalulu, Arkadiusz Milik and Andrea Cambiaso the only ones set to return in the short term, as Juan Cabal and Gleison Bremer are out of the remainder of the campaign.
In the attack, Koopmeiners will take up the No.10 role, while Mbangula might keep his place at the expense of Kenan Yildiz. Conceicao is likely to replace Nico Gonzalez, while Kolo Muani will continue to lead the line ahead of Dusan Vlahovic, who will find himself on the bench once again.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1) – Di Gregorio; Savona, Gatti, Veiga, McKennie; Locatelli, Thuram; Conceicao, Koopmeiners, Mbangula; Kolo Muani
Inter Milan
Inter Milan are sweating on Marcus Thuram’s fitness, and should he miss out, it does threaten the prospect of both the Thuram brothers being on the pitch together, albeit on opposite sides. The Nerazzuri top scorer will still go through a late assessment, as there’s hope he will partner Lautaro Martinez on the frontline.
Raffaele Di Gennaro is the only absentee on Inzaghi’s side, meaning that the Inter Milan manager might be able to call upon most of his players and name a strong enough lineup to face Juventus. There are the usual candidates to take up key roles in the setting, with Hakan Calhanoglou, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Nicolo Barella operating in those three midfield positions.
Denzel Dumfries and Federico Dimaro are pencilled in for the wing-back roles. Alessandro Bastoni remains the mainstay in this Nerazzuri backline, as Stefan De Vrij and Benjamin Pavard will join him.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2) – Sommer; Pavard, De Vrij, Bastoni, Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez
Key Stats
- Juventus are undefeated in 31 of their last 32 matches in Serie A.
- Juventus are targetting their first 4-game winning streak of the season.
- Inter are undefeated in 18 of their last 19 matches in Serie A.
- Inter Milan are one point behind Napoli in the Serie A standings.
Player to Watch
Randal Kolo Muani
After a stellar start to life in Turin, Kolo Muani will be eager to make a statement of sorts with a big performance against one of the top rivals. With Inter Milan coming to Turin, he has a big game awaiting as Juventus look to continue on their good form of late.
A top performance here will go a long way from convincing Juventus to sign him permanently and also help keep Vlahovic’s chances of usurping his place at bay. He is Juventus’ biggest attacking threat on the field as Kolo Muani will be eager to put in a statement performance.
Prediction
Juventus 2-1 Inter Milan
Inter Milan are coming into this clash with stuttering form despite winning their most recent league game against Fiorentina. They were also thumped by the same opposition away from home a few days prior, which casts some doubts over their performance on the road, as they could potentially drop points here and give Napoli the advantage.
Juventus, on the other hand, are one of the strongest defensive teams in the league despite losing many of their backline personnel during the season. At home, they will look for their first four-game winning streak and make a statement of intent with a win over Inter Milan by the narrowest of margins.
