Italy comes to a standstill on Saturday evening as Juventus and Inter Milan renew their historic rivalry at the Allianz Stadium. The season’s first Derby d’Italia arrives early but promises to offer an important indicator of which side is best positioned to challenge for the Scudetto.
Match Preview
The history between these two giants stretches back to 1909, and Saturday’s clash adds another chapter. Juventus have lost just one of their last 11 league meetings with Inter in Turin, while last season’s dramatic encounters remain fresh in memory: a 4-4 thriller in Milan, sealed with a Kenan Yildiz brace, followed by a narrow Juve win in February thanks to Francisco Conceição.
Juventus arrive in good form, having claimed victories over Parma and Genoa to start Igor Tudor’s first full season in charge. After guiding the team to fourth place last year amid off-field turmoil, Tudor now has the Scudetto in his sights.
Inter, by contrast, stumbled before the international break. After sweeping aside Torino on the opening weekend, Cristian Chivu’s men were stunned 2-1 at home by Udinese, raising early questions about the former treble-winner’s leadership since replacing Simone Inzaghi. The Nerazzurri will need a response in Turin before they head to Amsterdam for their Champions League opener against Ajax.
Team News
Juventus face dilemmas in attack as Jonathan David continues to impress. Contract rebel Dusan Vlahovic has also hit the net twice this season despite being used mainly as an impact substitute, while summer signing Lois Openda is another option. Francisco Conceição remains a major injury doubt after a muscular problem forced him out of Portugal duty, while Fabio Miretti is sidelined with a thigh issue.
Andrea Cambiaso will complete his two-match suspension following a red card on the opening day, leaving options open at wing-back. Pierre Kalulu, Weston McKennie, Joao Mario and Filip Kostic are all in contention to fill those roles.
For Inter, new signing Manuel Akanji could make his Serie A debut at centre-back, likely replacing Yann Bisseck. Otherwise, Chivu has a fully fit squad. Summer arrivals Luiz Henrique, Andy Diouf and Ange Bonny are set to begin on the bench. Up front, Marcus Thuram has already struck twice this campaign, while Lautaro Martinez will look to improve on his modest record against Juventus—just two goals in 14 Serie A appearances.
Probable Starting XI’s
Juventus (3-4-2-1): Di Gregorio; Gatti, Bremer, Kelly; Kalulu, Thuram, Locatelli, Mario; Koopmeiners, Yildiz; David
Inter Milan (3-5-2): Sommer; Akanji, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Sucic, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez
Prediction
This Derby d’Italia comes at a crucial time, with Juventus aiming to assert themselves as genuine title challengers and Inter seeking to recover momentum. Both sides possess attacking talent, but defensive solidity may decide the night.
Prediction: Juventus 2-1 Inter Milan
