Juventus welcome Inter Milan to Turin on Sunday night, in one of the biggest matches of the 2016/17 Serie season. The derby d’Italia is always one of the big occasions of the Italian league season but with Juventus once again pushing for the Scudetto and Inter Milan closing in on the Champions League places, this has the makings of being a cracking match.
Juventus have responded well to the defeat in Florence a couple of weeks ago and have won their last two Serie A games. Both matches ended 2-0, at home to Lazio and away to Sassuolo and Massimiliano Allegri seems happy using a 4-2-3-1 formation, which has proved successful in every game he has used it this season. The Bianconeri are sure to come out playing the same way against Inter. The only player unavailable for Allegri is Mario Lemina, so there shouldn’t be many changes from the team which won at Sassuolo.
Inter Milan arrive at the Juventus Stadium on a seven-game winning streak in Serie A and things are really starting to click for the Nerazzurri under Stefano Pioli. Across those seven matches, Inter have scored 15 goals and conceded only 2, meaning they are scoring over 2 goals and conceding just under 0.3 per game.
This excellent run of form has won over many of the Inter fans, who are starting to dream of what could be achieved this season. The possibility of playing Champions League football next season is fast becoming a reality but this will be a real test of how far Inter have come over the past two months.
Juventus have not dropped a point at home since September 2015 and having been defeated by Inter at the Giuseppe Meazza earlier this season, will want to get revenge. At home in Serie A, Juventus have won all eleven games this season, scoring an average of 2.6 goals per game and conceding only 0.5 goals per game.
Juventus have conceded no more than a single goal against any team which has visited their stadium in the league this season and if Inter are to win this match, they need to accept they will probably have to score at least twice in the game.
Inter’s recent away form has been very good, winning their last three Serie A matches on the road. The wins have come at Sassuolo, Udinese and Palermo. However, Inter have suffered five defeats away from home already this season, losing to Chievo, Roma, Atalanta, Sampdoria and most recently, Napoli, which was a heavy 3-0 loss. Inter have scored 2 goals away from home on four occasions this season and will need to make that five, if they are to leave Turin with anything to show for their efforts on Sunday night.
This has the makings of being a tremendous game and could be a big advert for Italian football, which is looking to regain the aura it once held around Europe. Juventus have the advantage being at home and it could be that which decides this match. Inter may find the back of the net once but it won’t be enough and Juventus should come away with the win.