What: Italian Serie A
Who: Inter vs Juventus
When: Saturday 14th September, 2013, at 17:00 UK Time
Where: Giuseppe Meazza (San Siro), Milan, Italy
Solid Basis
Club football resumes this weekend after having halted for some time due to players departing to attend to matters with their respective national teams. Luckily for the Serie A fans, Italy’s most anticipated football game comes early this year as Inter prepare to welcome Juventus to Milan in order to dispute the much-anticipated Derby d’Italia. Juventus are the bookers’ favourites to come up with the trophy once again this season, but they will face a tough task in the form of their Lombardi foes.
Inter have started the 2013/14 league season in the best way possible, by negotiating through Genoa and Catania. Under the new guidance of former Napoli boss Walter Mazzarri, the Beneamata want to continue their fine form, but they will face their hardest task so far this season against Juve.
“Juventus are a great team that has been playing well for years. We’re going to give our all. I believe we’re a team making rapid progress. It won’t be an easy game. We’ll see what happens on the pitch”, declared team captain Javier Zanetti ahead of this game. “It will be a big match, as it always is between these two great clubs. It’s a game you really get up for: it means a lot and we hope it goes well for us.”
Caution Needed
Similar to Inter, Juventus have not missed a step ever since festivities resumed this term. With two wins out of two so far, the Bianconeri are going with full force towards a third consecutive Scudetto accolade. Knowing that their adversaries on the night have the same number of points as them, as well as a better defensive record so far, they will face a tough task against the Nerazzurri.
La Vecchia Signora will be confident ahead of this one though, as they have kept a clean sheet in five of their last seven away league games. Furthermore, Inter has won just two of the last six matches that pitted the two, with Juve claiming the spoils in all four other occasions.
However, midfield man Claudio Marchisio believes that his side will be in for a tough fight ahead of this game: “Inter have always made it difficult for us. They beat us last year and also have a new coach. They are capable of playing good, fierce football. For us to beat a strong team like Inter on the third day of the season would be a real boost of confidence”, concluded the Italian international.
Recent form
Inter:
Real Madrid 3-0 Inter (10/08; Friendly)
Inter 2-0 Genoa (25/08; Serie A)
Catania 0-3 Inter (01/09; Serie A)
Juventus:
Juventus 4-0 Lazio (18/08; Super Cup)
Sampdoria 0-1 Juventus (24/08; Serie A)
Juventus 4-1 Lazio (31/08; Serie A)
Key absences
Inter: Mauro Icardi (doubt); Walter Samuel (doubt); Diego Milito (doubt); McDonald Mariga; Christian Chivu; Javier Zanetti
Juventus: Andrea Barzagli (doubt); Mirko Vucinic (doubt); Simone Pepe (doubt); Claudio Marchisio; Martin Caceres
Players to watch
Inter – Rodrigo Palacio: The Argentine will be entrusted with striking duty as his team relies on him to come up with the goods against Juventus. Knowing that he will be facing the best defence in Serie A, the 31-year old will need to bring his best game to be able to come away victorious against the Bianconeri back four.
Juventus – Arturo Vidal: The midfielder’s importance for the Old Lady cannot be denied, and the impact Vidal has made at Juventus ever since making the switch from Bayer Leverkusen has been nothing short of outstanding, with his partnership with Andrea Pirlo praised on multiple occasions. Undoubtedly one of Juve’s most important men.
Match Prediction
Inter will be buoyed with the fact that their campaign has been perfect so far, and will face their perennial foes with some anticipation, while Juventus will be hoping to inflict some damage at their opponents’ own grounds. Their numbers in the league so far have been very similar, with two wins each, and Juventus conceding one goal so far as opposed to Inter’s none. On the same level at this point of the season, expect a draw.
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