Former Juventus striker David Trezeguet, who scored 171 goals for the Bianconeri, has shared his thoughts on the upcoming Derby d’Italia and the Serie A title race. The French legend believes a Juventus victory at San Siro would send a strong message not only to Inter but to the entire league.
When asked about the title favorites, Trezeguet told Gazzetta dello Sport, “Inter remains the strongest and most complete, but Antonio Conte’s Napoli will fight until the end: you can already see his influence on the team. Juventus has started an interesting journey with Thiago Motta, they’ve begun well and will need to stay in the wake of Napoli and Inter, ready to take advantage. I see Milan behind these three.”
Reflecting on Juventus’ recent Champions League loss to Stuttgart, Trezeguet remains optimistic about the upcoming match at San Siro. He reminisced about past victories, particularly mentioning the 2007-08 season: “We’ve always played great games in Milan; the Derby d’Italia is a night unto itself. The most beautiful memory is from 2007-08, upon returning to Serie A after Calciopoli: we beat Inter 2-1 with goals from me and Camoranesi. A special victory for the fans, who since the season in Serie B care even more about this match. This time, we hope Vlahovic scores.”
Trezeguet had words of encouragement for Dusan Vlahovic, stating, “He’s a striker with important qualities, but he needs to be more decisive: a bit like Lautaro does for Inter. Motta relies heavily on Dusan, and he needs to become even more decisive and protagonistic. You can make many arguments, but Juve’s history is clear: the center-forward is asked for goals, and strikers are judged by numbers. It was like that for me, and now it is for Vlahovic.”
On Lautaro Martinez’s Ballon d’Or prospects, Trezeguet commented, “On paper, he doesn’t lack the parameters. Now, without Ronaldo and Messi, there are more possibilities for other big players. Titles improve players, and he has won with Inter and Argentina. He’s charismatic and decisive, complete. He has the mentality of Batistuta and Crespo. But don’t forget about Marcus…”
Trezeguet also praised Marcus Thuram, son of his former teammate Lilian Thuram, saying, “In Lilian’s children, I see the mark of the Thuram family: professionalism, continuity, desire to improve and win. Marcus is rising in level, and when Lautaro doesn’t score, he takes care of it: that’s not a small thing.”
When asked about potential reinforcements for Juventus, Trezeguet suggested, “I’d take a young player. I like Colidio, the 2000-born River Plate player, ex-Inter: he has an Italian passport, and Argentines adapt quickly to Serie A.”
Trezeguet concluded by naming his favorite number 9 in Serie A: “Retegui. He has the mentality of Argentines, and with Gasperini, he improves: his goals demonstrate that.”
