As Juventus and Inter gear up for the first Derby d’Italia of the season, former midfielder Alessio Tacchinardi has shared his thoughts on the highly anticipated clash. Speaking to Tuttosport, he touched on Kenan Yildiz’s rising influence, Inter’s vulnerabilities, and his views on the attacking choices available to Igor Tudor.
Yildiz the new leader
Tacchinardi was particularly impressed by the impact of Kenan Yildiz, the young Turkish playmaker now wearing Juventus’ number ten shirt.
“Comparison between Yildiz and Lautaro? On one side there’s the Inter striker, who is a complete player. On the other, Juventus’ number ten: during matches, he offers something extra. The Argentine scores in a different way and has more solutions. Kenan doesn’t use his left foot often: yes, he has scored with it, but there is room for improvement.
Yildiz can leave you stunned – he has that special move, the one that drives the fans crazy. A perfect example was that burst against Parma: it’s something built into him, a gift that makes him stand out. At Yildiz’s age, Lautaro wasn’t at this level. When Martinez was 20, his character wasn’t worthy of a ten-out-of-ten rating, maybe a seven at most.
The remarkable thing about Kenan is his personality. He studies to become a leader. He has literally taken Juventus on his shoulders – the equivalent of what Lautaro is trying to do at Inter through strong words and responsibility. But Kenan has impressed me deeply: for me, he’s still only at 50% of his potential. He has a whole suitcase to fill with experience over time.”
Juventus-Inter expectations
Tacchinardi believes the upcoming match will look very different to last season’s encounter at San Siro:
“I think it will be very different from what we saw a year ago. It will also be a delicate match for Inter because Chivu doesn’t have the kind of team he wants: he has ball-playing midfielders but would prefer a far more vertical style, like Tudor’s Juventus. Right now, Juve’s ideas are more clear.
You can lose or draw matches, but you have to walk away saying this: we were present! You can’t play with fear. I repeat: this Inter is not unbeatable, they have weaknesses. Beating them is tough, yes, but they’re in a delicate moment without a clear tactical identity.
I’m also curious to see which formation Tudor will play for the big clash on Saturday. I read about Conceição having a muscle issue – nothing major – but if he’s not risked, there could be a tactical change.”
Vlahovic the right partner
Finally, Tacchinardi gave his view on how Tudor should line up in attack, especially alongside Canadian forward Jonathan David.
“Adding a striker to David? I’d play Vlahovic, more than Openda. Certain moments need to be seized, and not doing so now could be something to regret later. Dusan has always scored, even with his national team. He’s physical, strong, and can form a great partnership with David. In any case, Juventus truly have the tools to cause damage.”
