[Serie A] Inter - Juventus (6 Viewers)
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New role for Recoba? Saturday 27 November, 2004
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Juan Sebastian Veron is out of the Juve clash, so Alvaro Recoba could take a deep midfield role in support of Adriano and Obafemi Martins.
The former Chelsea star has been out of action for a couple of weeks following a calf strain and is not part of the squad to take on Juventus this Sunday evening.
In order to give the Nerazzurri more creativity in the centre, it’s possible Recoba will be given a rare start out wide on the left flank.
Having the Uruguayan forward in this area of the pitch makes it more likely Edgar Davids will be brought in to face his former club and bring more steel to the team.
It would not be a new experiment for Coach Roberto Mancini, as Recoba also started in midfield against Roma and Fiorentina this season with varying results.
It is practically certain that Dejan Stankovic and Esteban Cambiasso will form half of the Inter midfield at the San Siro, but Mancio has a number of other options available to him.
Christian Vieri’s recent performances in the Coppa Italia and Champions’ League have boosted his confidence, but Obafemi Martins struck against Werder Bremen midweek and is the favourite to partner Adriano.
There are more doubts in defence, as Marco Materazzi’s height and strength are useful tools against Marcelo Zalayeta and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but the absence of Veron means Sinisa Mihajlovic’s long-range passing could be necessary.
Inter squad:
Gk: Toldo, Fontana
D: Cordoba, Burdisso, J Zanetti, Mihajlovic, Ze Maria, Favalli, Materazzi
M: Emre, C Zanetti, van der Meyde, Davids, Cambiasso, Stankovic
F: Cruz, Adriano, Recoba, Martins, Vieri
New role for Recoba? Saturday 27 November, 2004
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Juan Sebastian Veron is out of the Juve clash, so Alvaro Recoba could take a deep midfield role in support of Adriano and Obafemi Martins.
The former Chelsea star has been out of action for a couple of weeks following a calf strain and is not part of the squad to take on Juventus this Sunday evening.
In order to give the Nerazzurri more creativity in the centre, it’s possible Recoba will be given a rare start out wide on the left flank.
Having the Uruguayan forward in this area of the pitch makes it more likely Edgar Davids will be brought in to face his former club and bring more steel to the team.
It would not be a new experiment for Coach Roberto Mancini, as Recoba also started in midfield against Roma and Fiorentina this season with varying results.
It is practically certain that Dejan Stankovic and Esteban Cambiasso will form half of the Inter midfield at the San Siro, but Mancio has a number of other options available to him.
Christian Vieri’s recent performances in the Coppa Italia and Champions’ League have boosted his confidence, but Obafemi Martins struck against Werder Bremen midweek and is the favourite to partner Adriano.
There are more doubts in defence, as Marco Materazzi’s height and strength are useful tools against Marcelo Zalayeta and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but the absence of Veron means Sinisa Mihajlovic’s long-range passing could be necessary.
Inter squad:
Gk: Toldo, Fontana
D: Cordoba, Burdisso, J Zanetti, Mihajlovic, Ze Maria, Favalli, Materazzi
M: Emre, C Zanetti, van der Meyde, Davids, Cambiasso, Stankovic
F: Cruz, Adriano, Recoba, Martins, Vieri
Serie A Preview: Inter-Juventus
11/27/2004 3:06:00 PM
The ‘Derby of Italy’ is back on Sunday night as Inter host arch-rivals Juventus in a do-or-die encounter for the Nerazzurri.
BACKGROUND
Inter-Juventus is never an ordinary match, even when both teams are not fighting for any major honours. This time round, both sides have the Scudetto as main aspiration in their agenda, and a win for either side would give a clearer view of their season.
A win for Inter, which half of Italy hopes will happen, will see the Nerazzurri back in the title race, despite being 15 points behind the Bianconeri at present. A win for the Old Lady would definitely put the word end on Inter’s title hopes who could then concentrate exclusively on the Champions League, while Juventus would reaffirm their claim on the Scudetto race.
A draw would most probably go down better with Capello’s side while Mancini’s team must aim for a win at all costs as Massimo Moratti stated this week that they cannot afford to be so behind. Probably the 15-point divergence is way too high but this gap has been mainly due to the difference between each side’s defensive departments. This will be an interesting theme as Cannavaro will be back at San Siro to prove he was not a finished player as Inter had thought when sending him practically for free to Juve in summer.
One of the main ‘attractions’ in this Derby of Italy is that there isn’t one game which doesn’t have some major referee controversy to spice it up. Everyone remembers the Ronaldo-Iuliano incident and more recently the Buffon and Inter pile-up of two years ago. Whatever the result, there will always be someone complaining for a decision which didn’t go his team’s way.
The Nerazzurri arrive to this game with 6 league draws on the trot, while the Old Lady has won 5 of its last 6 league games. Both teams have so far scored 23 goals but as mentioned before, the main difference is in the defence. The Bianconeri have conceded just 4 goals from 12 matches so far (17 matches if we also consider the Champions League where Buffon’s goal has not been violated so far) while Inter had to pick up the ball from the net 20 times already. Too many times for a team hoping to win the Scudetto, in a league notoriously known for having the team which concedes the fewer number of goals winning the title.
TEAM NEWS
Inter:
Inter will have to do without Juan Sebastian Veron, but will otherwise be at full team in the match that will decide their season. Mancini will go back to the central duo Cordoba-Materazzi in the hope of finding solidity.
Juventus:
The Bianconeri will play without their two main strikers, Del Piero and Trezeguet, but will rely on the working duo of Ibrahimovic and Zalayeta who have done quite well so far this season. Zebina will also back in defence to continue where he left off before his recent injury.
PROBABLE FORMATIONS
Inter (4-4-2):
Toldo - J. Zanetti, Cordoba, Materazzi, Favalli - Stankovic, Cambiasso, Davids, Emre -Adriano, Martins
Juventus (4-4-2):
Buffon - Zebina, Thuram, Cannavaro, Zambrotta - Camoranesi, Emerson, Blasi, Nedved - Ibrahimovic, Zalayeta
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Adriano (Inter)
Basically Inter have to rely on Adriano and no one else. He has been fundamental this season and Inter’s hopes of defeating Juve depend on the Brazilian striker. When he plays, the Nerazzurri always start with a +1 goal advantage because he always scored. This time he will face a tough test when he plays against the least beaten defence in the whole of Europe.
Camoranesi (Juventus)
The Italian-Argentinean winger has been phenomenal so far this season, one of the best Juve players. Unstoppable when dribbling, perfect crosses for the strikers and great creativity have turned him into one of the most important players of the Bianconeri this year. He will be facing Inter, a squad which in the past have tried to snatch him away from Juve
PREDICTION
Inter will be trying to stop their trend of draws but with Juventus more than happy of achieving one point from this match, for the Nerazzurri it looks like this will be their 7th consecutive X.
Inter-Juve 1-1
11/27/2004 3:06:00 PM
The ‘Derby of Italy’ is back on Sunday night as Inter host arch-rivals Juventus in a do-or-die encounter for the Nerazzurri.
BACKGROUND
Inter-Juventus is never an ordinary match, even when both teams are not fighting for any major honours. This time round, both sides have the Scudetto as main aspiration in their agenda, and a win for either side would give a clearer view of their season.
A win for Inter, which half of Italy hopes will happen, will see the Nerazzurri back in the title race, despite being 15 points behind the Bianconeri at present. A win for the Old Lady would definitely put the word end on Inter’s title hopes who could then concentrate exclusively on the Champions League, while Juventus would reaffirm their claim on the Scudetto race.
A draw would most probably go down better with Capello’s side while Mancini’s team must aim for a win at all costs as Massimo Moratti stated this week that they cannot afford to be so behind. Probably the 15-point divergence is way too high but this gap has been mainly due to the difference between each side’s defensive departments. This will be an interesting theme as Cannavaro will be back at San Siro to prove he was not a finished player as Inter had thought when sending him practically for free to Juve in summer.
One of the main ‘attractions’ in this Derby of Italy is that there isn’t one game which doesn’t have some major referee controversy to spice it up. Everyone remembers the Ronaldo-Iuliano incident and more recently the Buffon and Inter pile-up of two years ago. Whatever the result, there will always be someone complaining for a decision which didn’t go his team’s way.
The Nerazzurri arrive to this game with 6 league draws on the trot, while the Old Lady has won 5 of its last 6 league games. Both teams have so far scored 23 goals but as mentioned before, the main difference is in the defence. The Bianconeri have conceded just 4 goals from 12 matches so far (17 matches if we also consider the Champions League where Buffon’s goal has not been violated so far) while Inter had to pick up the ball from the net 20 times already. Too many times for a team hoping to win the Scudetto, in a league notoriously known for having the team which concedes the fewer number of goals winning the title.
TEAM NEWS
Inter:
Inter will have to do without Juan Sebastian Veron, but will otherwise be at full team in the match that will decide their season. Mancini will go back to the central duo Cordoba-Materazzi in the hope of finding solidity.
Juventus:
The Bianconeri will play without their two main strikers, Del Piero and Trezeguet, but will rely on the working duo of Ibrahimovic and Zalayeta who have done quite well so far this season. Zebina will also back in defence to continue where he left off before his recent injury.
PROBABLE FORMATIONS
Inter (4-4-2):
Toldo - J. Zanetti, Cordoba, Materazzi, Favalli - Stankovic, Cambiasso, Davids, Emre -Adriano, Martins
Juventus (4-4-2):
Buffon - Zebina, Thuram, Cannavaro, Zambrotta - Camoranesi, Emerson, Blasi, Nedved - Ibrahimovic, Zalayeta
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Adriano (Inter)
Basically Inter have to rely on Adriano and no one else. He has been fundamental this season and Inter’s hopes of defeating Juve depend on the Brazilian striker. When he plays, the Nerazzurri always start with a +1 goal advantage because he always scored. This time he will face a tough test when he plays against the least beaten defence in the whole of Europe.
Camoranesi (Juventus)
The Italian-Argentinean winger has been phenomenal so far this season, one of the best Juve players. Unstoppable when dribbling, perfect crosses for the strikers and great creativity have turned him into one of the most important players of the Bianconeri this year. He will be facing Inter, a squad which in the past have tried to snatch him away from Juve
PREDICTION
Inter will be trying to stop their trend of draws but with Juventus more than happy of achieving one point from this match, for the Nerazzurri it looks like this will be their 7th consecutive X.
Inter-Juve 1-1
did they watch any juventus game this season?
camo
Damn, no Olivera for tomorrow's game either.
Capello going for glory
Saturday 27 November, 2004
Fabio Capello insists his Juve will go to the San Siro looking for the victory – something the Coach hasn’t managed in over a decade.
“Juventus don’t know how to aim for a draw,” pointed out the tactician ahead of Sunday’s Derby d’Italia. “We always have the three points in our mind and want to confirm our position as leaders.”
The Bianconeri could probably afford to share the spoils at the San Siro, but Inter are desperate for a win after falling 15 points behind.
“Inter are a great team and in pre-season had more potential than any other with regards to individual players and overall quality, but they simply haven’t delivered on that promise.”
Capello’s record at the San Siro is not a promising one, as since his Milan won the local derby 2-1 in November 1993, he has picked up just four draws and six defeats here.
“Roberto Mancini’s men are gambling an important throw of the dice here and they will have a strong desire to get back into the title race. We must confirm what we’ve achieved up until now and play with the classic Juventus character.”
Jonathan Zebina and Gianluca Pessotto are back in the squad following injury worries, while Alessandro Del Piero and Ruben Olivera have not even made the trip. The major doubt is between Alessio Tacchinardi and Manuele Blasi in midfield.
Fabio Cannavaro is also set to start against the club that dropped him so unceremoniously in the summer.
“Cannavaro is not just an important player for Juventus,” added Capello, “but for any team that has the pleasure of working with him, and that includes the Italy squad. If Inter decided to sell him then they were convinced he wouldn’t be missed.”
It has been a tough few days for the Turin giants, as on Friday chief of medical staff Dr Riccardo Agricola was found guilty of prescribing medication including Epo and given a suspended 22-month prison sentence. Capello chose not to comment on the trial outcome.
Juventus squad:
Gk: Buffon, Chimenti, Bonnefoi
D: Montero, Tudor, Legrottaglie, Pessotto, Birindelli, Zambrotta, Thuram, Zebina, Cannavaro
M: Tacchinardi, Emerson, Nedved, Camoranesi, Appiah, Blasi, Kapo
F: Ibrahimovic, Zalayeta
Capello going for glory
Saturday 27 November, 2004
Fabio Capello insists his Juve will go to the San Siro looking for the victory – something the Coach hasn’t managed in over a decade.
“Juventus don’t know how to aim for a draw,” pointed out the tactician ahead of Sunday’s Derby d’Italia. “We always have the three points in our mind and want to confirm our position as leaders.”
The Bianconeri could probably afford to share the spoils at the San Siro, but Inter are desperate for a win after falling 15 points behind.
“Inter are a great team and in pre-season had more potential than any other with regards to individual players and overall quality, but they simply haven’t delivered on that promise.”
Capello’s record at the San Siro is not a promising one, as since his Milan won the local derby 2-1 in November 1993, he has picked up just four draws and six defeats here.
“Roberto Mancini’s men are gambling an important throw of the dice here and they will have a strong desire to get back into the title race. We must confirm what we’ve achieved up until now and play with the classic Juventus character.”
Jonathan Zebina and Gianluca Pessotto are back in the squad following injury worries, while Alessandro Del Piero and Ruben Olivera have not even made the trip. The major doubt is between Alessio Tacchinardi and Manuele Blasi in midfield.
Fabio Cannavaro is also set to start against the club that dropped him so unceremoniously in the summer.
“Cannavaro is not just an important player for Juventus,” added Capello, “but for any team that has the pleasure of working with him, and that includes the Italy squad. If Inter decided to sell him then they were convinced he wouldn’t be missed.”
It has been a tough few days for the Turin giants, as on Friday chief of medical staff Dr Riccardo Agricola was found guilty of prescribing medication including Epo and given a suspended 22-month prison sentence. Capello chose not to comment on the trial outcome.
Juventus squad:
Gk: Buffon, Chimenti, Bonnefoi
D: Montero, Tudor, Legrottaglie, Pessotto, Birindelli, Zambrotta, Thuram, Zebina, Cannavaro
M: Tacchinardi, Emerson, Nedved, Camoranesi, Appiah, Blasi, Kapo
F: Ibrahimovic, Zalayeta