Serie A Preview: Inter-Juventus
What: Serie A - Matchday 30
Who: Inter (1st, 68 points) vs Juventus (3rd, 55 points)
When: Saturday 22 March 2008, 20:30 CET
Where: Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan
Inter Still Stuttering
Inter are continuing to stutter as we enter the final quarter of the Serie A season. On Wednesday night they could only manage a 1-1 draw at Genoa, having been forced to play more than half of the game with 10 men, following Pele’s sending off.
As it happened the draw turned out to be a positive result, as Roma lost 3-2 to Lazio in the capital derby, thus enabling Inter to extend their lead at the top of the table to seven points.
With just nine games of the season remaining this advantage should be enough for Inter to retain the Scudetto, however their poor recent performances suggest that it will not be a walk in the park.
Inter arguably have a much harder run-in than Roma, as they still have to play Milan, Fiorentina, Lazio away, as well as Juventus this weekend.
The Bianconeri will throw everything including the kitchen sink in an attempt to take three points home with them from San Siro.
Inter and Juve have developed into the bitterest of enemies since the Calciopoli crisis in 2006, so it is guaranteed that there will be an explosive atmosphere.
Juve Looking Safe For Champions League
Juventus are virtually guaranteed of a place in next season’s Champions League, as with just nine games remaining they hold a nine-point cushion over fifth-placed Milan.
The Bianconeri have recovered from a recent poor run, when they picked up just one point in three games, by obtaining seven points in their next three clashes.
However, like Inter, Juve have been far from impressive recently. Last Sunday they required an 88th minute winner from substitute Vincenzo Iaquinta to overcome Napoli 1-0, while they also looked bereft of ideas in midweek as they drew 0-0 at second-from-bottom Empoli.
Nevertheless form will count for nothing coming into this game, and Juve will be pumped up to the maximum to gain revenge over the team that most Juventini blame for Calciopoli.
When the two sides drew 1-1 in Turin in November it was a feisty, and at times violent game. Luis Figo broke his leg following a challenge from Pavel Nedved, while Giorgio Chiellini dished out some real rough treatment to ex-Bianconero Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
FORM GUIDE
Inter Milan
19/03 (Serie A): Genoa-Inter 1-1
16/03 (Serie A): Inter-Palermo 2-1
11/03 (Champions League): Inter-Liverpool 0-1
08/03 (Serie A): Inter Milan-Reggina 2-0
02/03 (Serie A): Napoli-Inter Milan 1-0
Juventus
19/03 (Serie A): Empoli-Juventus 0-0
16/03 (Serie A): Juventus-Napoli 1-0
09/03 (Serie A): Genoa-Juventus 0-2
02/03 (Serie A): Juventus-Fiorentina 2-3
26/02 (Serie A): Juventus-Torino 0-0
TEAM NEWS
Inter
Inter are without the injured Olivier Dacourt, Walter Samuel, Ivan Cordoba, Cesar and Dejan Stankovic, while Pele is suspended following his red card against Genoa.
Probable Starting XI: Julio Cesar; Maicon, Burdisso, Chivu, Maxwell; Solari, Cambiasso, Zanetti, Figo; Ibrahimovic, Cruz
Juventus
The Bianconeri will have to make do without long-term injury victims Jorge Andrade and Marco Marchionni, while Cristiano Zanetti is also sidelined.
Probable Starting XI: Buffon; Zebina, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Molinaro, Camoranesi, Nedved, Sissoko, Salihamidzic; Del Piero, Trezeguet
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter)
One of the main spectacles of the match will be Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s duel with his former Juventus colleague Giorgio Chiellini. When the pair faced each other in Turin in November they repeatedly clashed off-the-ball, with Chiellini clearly winning the battle both on a physical and footballing level. Ibrahimovic will be keen for revenge, while also attempting to prove that he can perform against the big sides.
Momo Sissoko (Juventus)
The moment of truth for Sissoko this Saturday night. The start to his Juventus career has been mixed. He has impressed hugely at times, but at other times he has looked extremely naïve tactically, which has harmed the Bianconeri team as a whole. I was strongly against his signing, but the real acid test comes in this game. If he can win the midfield battle, and help lead Juve to victory he will go a long way to silencing his doubters, me included.
PREDICTION
Inter were out on their feet during the second half against Genoa, having had to play for so long with 10 men. Juventus can take advantage of this, and I see their sheer determination driving them on to victory.
Inter 1-2 Juventus
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