Juventus and Inter are Italy’s most successful teams as far as Serie A titles are concerned, but they have not had a one-two finish in the league in the 2020s. Their early form suggests both will be in the mix at the top of the standings this term, so the season’s first Derby d’Italia could end up proving to be a critical juncture in the title race.
By Neel Shelat
Inter slightly off the pace
Simone Inzaghi’s Inter have been one of the best and most tactically intriguing teams in Europe in recent years. Their fluid possession-play and solid defending have enabled them to compete on all fronts, with top-class players in all positions across the squad starring as well.
Having enjoyed a quiet summer transfer window, the Nerazzurri naturally did not need to change their system for the new season. As one would expect, the defending Serie A champions’ results look pretty good as they have lost just once in all competitions so far, but their recent performances have been a bit concerning.
After losing to city rivals Milan, Inter have won their last five games. Apart from the convincing 4-0 win over Red Star Belgrade, though, each of those showings has been subpar in one way or another. Inzaghi’s side sat too deep and threw away an early lead against Udinese, getting bailed out by Lautaro Martínez’s goals on either side of half-time. They also had a five-goal game against Torino, which they won largely thanks to an early red card. This week, their attack hardly got going against Roma, and they needed a stoppage-time winner to beat Young Boys.
Juventus’ scoring struggles
Regardless of what sort of showing Inter put together, Juventus know that they have major issues of their own to contend with. While their defensive record in the league is mightily impressive as they have conceded just once in eight games, they have had some issues with scoring goals.
The Old Lady’s tally of 11 goals is only the ninth-highest in the division right now; certainly not befitting prospective title challengers. The bigger problem, though, is the fact that they have no reliable source of goals other than striker Dušan Vlahović, who is the only member of their squad with multiple league goals. However, he has never scored at San Siro.
Having put up with a very boring style of play under Massimiliano Allegri, Juve fans were quickly enamoured by Thiago Motta’s eye-catching possession-play, but they could quickly become annoyed again if their scoring problems persist.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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