Juventus 1-0 Inter Milan
The Serie A is never a kind place for teams like Juventus.
Consecutive defending champions always get roughhoused by almost every good club in the league. They always have a huge target on their back, and everyone in the league will always put their best foot forward whenever they play the giants of Italian football.
However, winning fixtures such as this is the reason why the Bianconeri are the undisputed winners of the Italian top flight. The way they took Inter Milan’s pressure and turned it into a goal is a testament to Massimiliano Allegri’s tactical genius and his squad’s immense talent.
Highlights of the game
The first half began with Juventus trying to assert their strength over Inter by scoring an early goal. However, it seemed like the Nerazzurri had other plans and made life extremely difficult for the defending champions.
Luciano Spalletti’s men were pressing hard to dispossess Juventus in the midfield and get the ball to the side of the hosts for a possible early lead. Their attempts had varying results, but Joao Mario’s volley in the fourth minute gave the side some encouraging results.
However, everyone knew that the Old Lady will still play like the dominant league leaders that have become their trademark over the Italian top flight for a good chunk of the decade. The first good chance of the game ended up on the hands of the Turin-based club.
Paulo Dybala received a great pass and fired the ball towards the roof of the net. Samir Handanovic managed to pull a brilliant reflex save to avoid going down by a goal within the game’s first ten minutes. Miralem Pjanic took the subsequent corner, but the Nerazzurri managed to keep the ball from reaching a Juventus shirt.
The first 20 minutes of the game continued with both sides trading blows. Inter Milan were playing hard-nosed football and were threatening to score just as much as their Turin hosts. Ivan Perisic and Sime Vrsaljko were among the Inter players that gave Wojciech Szczesny and the Bianconeri backline a good workout. Cristiano Ronaldo — who could have had Inter’s shirt on his back long ago — was leading Juve forward with his piercing runs, but nothing came of his attacks.
The next big scoring opportunity came for Inter in the 29th minute when Roberto Gagliardini was alone in Juventus’ penalty box. He managed to beat the keeper and shot at an open goal, but misfortune hit him as his shot hit the right post and returned to a grateful Szczesny.
Juventus would have their own scoring chance in the 37th minute after Rodrigo Bentancur forced a corner. Paulo Dybala aimed a beautiful pass to Giorgio Chiellini, who expertly leapt to meet the ball and head it under the bar. However, Handanovic managed to save the ball. Not much action happened in the half, and both sides went to their dressing rooms frustrated.
The reset began with a great flow of attack from the visitors. Matteo Politano could have scored with a header after receiving a superb pass, but his effort went over the bar. Ivan Perisic tried his luck, but his effort was also off-target by a tiny bit.
Inter would soon rue the missed opportunities they had when the Old Lady finally managed to turn one of her chances into a goal. Joao Cancelo was on the left side of the penalty box and allowed his team-mates to catch up before launching a perfect header. Mario Mandzukic latched on to the ball and headed it past the impressive Handanovic from point-blank range.
The remainder of the game saw Inter trying everything they can in order to catch up to Juventus and at least leave the Allianz Stadium with at least a point. However, there were several roadblocks to Inter’s fightback.
First, Mauro Icardi was rendered ineffective by the Juventus backline. The fact that their ace who used to score for fun was silenced by Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci was worrying for their chances. Without their main cannon, Inter were forced to try other avenues to little to no effect.
It would turn out that their lack of a reliable attacker sans Icardi was the nail in the coffin as the final whistle was blown without Inter putting a dent on Juventus’ shiny armour. Carlo Ancelotti said that Juventus aren’t invincible, but they are definitely a side that is extremely difficult to take down.
Key statistics
Inter Milan’s high-pressure game actually worked as they got 51% of the possession in an environment as hostile as Juventus’ stomping grounds. However, the Old Lady had more shot attempts and shots on target. They forced Handanovic to make one more save than Szczesny’s four.
The game was also a physical affair. A total of 29 fouls were committed by both teams, and two players from each side got slapped with a yellow card. Juventus seem to be well-adjusted to physical games as evidenced by their superb victory last week.
What’s next?
The Serie A 2018 odds remain high on Juventus winning the title once more, and this important fixture doesn’t change anything. Juventus will likely continue dominating against local rivals Torino and pull off another convincing triumph against Roma. However, they will have to finish the Champions League group stage with a visit to Young Boys.
Meanwhile, Inter will need to find some consistency in their form if they want to keep their Champions League place. They must win against a strong PSV side then fend off Udinese and Chievo. This is not the easiest schedule, but winning against such teams is a must for Spalletti’s lads.
For more Serie A 2018 highlights and news, remember to always follow SBOBET Blog. We always have the freshest takes on the biggest football leagues in the world.
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