With just a single point separating the two teams in the Serie A table, Inter Milan and Juventus prepare to face off at the San Siro this evening in the latest edition of the Derby D’Italia.
Inter Milan enter the fixture in strong form, having secured two hard-fought away victories against Roma in Serie A and Young Boys in the Champions League. These results demonstrate the Nerazzurri’s ability to perform under pressure and adapt to different challenges.
Juventus, while unbeaten in domestic competition, are coming off a disappointing home defeat to Stuttgart in the Champions League. This loss has exposed some vulnerabilities that Inter will be keen to exploit.
Following their impactful performances as substitutes in Inter’s late victory in Switzerland, Federico Dimarco, Lautaro Martinez, and Marcus Thuram are expected to return to the starting lineup for Sunday’s match. Alessandro Bastoni will also be included in the starting eleven.
Inter’s squad has been hit with some injury concerns. Carlos Augusto, who had been filling in for Dimarco, has suffered a muscle strain and will be unavailable. He joins Hakan Calhanoglu and Francesco Acerbi on the injury list. However, there’s positive news as midfielders Kristjan Asllani and Piotr Zielinski have recovered from their injuries and are likely to be named among the substitutes.
Juventus are facing their own injury challenges. Douglas Luiz is doubtful after withdrawing from warm-ups against Stuttgart due to a thigh problem. The team will also be without summer acquisitions Teun Koopmeiners and Nico Gonzalez, who are sidelined with rib and thigh injuries respectively.
On a positive note for Juventus, first-choice goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio returns after serving a UEFA suspension in the Champions League. The attacking lineup is expected to remain unchanged, with young Turkish talent Kenan Yildiz and on-loan winger Francisco Conceicao providing support to striker Dusan Vlahovic.
Historical trends suggest a low-scoring affair, with seven of the last eight encounters between these sides producing two goals or fewer. Given Juventus’ defensive solidity and Inter’s measured approach, a cagey match with limited goalscoring opportunities seems probable.
Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Pavard, De Vrij, Bastoni; Darmian, Frattesi, Barella, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez
Juventus: (4-2-3-1 )Di Gregorio; Cambiaso, Kalulu, Gatti, Cabal; McKennie, Locatelli, Fagioli; Conceicao, Vlahovic, Yildiz
