Serie A PREVIEW | Juventus v Inter

We have a mouthwatering clash coming up tonight as league leaders Inter go head-to-head with second-placed Juventus in a winner-takes-top-spot contest at the Allianz Stadium.

Juventus approach this match following a fifth straight victory in the league as they continue to rebuild from last campaign’s underwhelming performances. Manager Massimiliano Allegri has been the pioneer to formulate a well-oiled machine in his team and a series of narrow wins have landed them just two points off the league leaders. 

The Bianconeri have a stable record against tonight’s opponents as they won five out of the last eight meetings. The hosts also won the two league fixtures last season without conceding and if they manage to get the win today, it will be for the first time since 1977 that Juventus managed to win three consecutive matches against Inter keeping a clean sheet. 

The Old Lady haven’t scored goals like the top-seven in the league currently but they possess the clinical ability to grind out wins during important contests. It will be a fascinating game to watch as a Juventus fan after watching their team endure tough times for the last two campaigns. 

Meanwhile, Inter will aim to stretch their winning run to seven consecutive victories across all competitions when they face Juventus. A win tonight would put them five points clear at the top of the pile and would provide them with a considerable advantage in the race to the Scudetto.

The Nerazzurri secured qualification to the Round of 16 of the Champions League in their last European outing against RB Salzburg when Lautaro Martinez’s 85th-minute penalty strike settled the three points in their favour. Simone Inzaghi’s men are in top form this season, scoring the highest goals (29) and conceding the least (6) in the Serie A till now. The striking partnership of Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez has worked wonders while the defence has been rock solid to wander away any threats. 

Results from their last five matches across all competitions 

Juventus:

W W W W W

Inter:

W W W W W

Team News

Massimiliano Allegri has a job in his hands to find the right midfield tonight. Paul Pogba and Nicolo Fagioli are banned from competitive football while Manuel Locatelli is yet to recover from a rib issue. 

Adrien Rabiot is expected to join Fabio Miretti and Weston McKennie in the engine room. 

As for Inter, Benjamin Pavard and Alessandro Bastoni are out of the game. Stefan De Vrij and Matteo Darmian are set to deputize at the back.

Juan Cuadrado has returned from injury and completed one full training ahead of the match. He is expected to start on the bench tonight.

Predicted XIs

Juventus (3-5-2): Szczesny; Gatti, Bremer, Rugani; Cambiaso, McKennie, Rabiot, Miretti, Kostic; Chiesa, Kean

Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Darmian, De Vrij, Acerbi; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez

Trambak Bhattacherjee | GIFN