Finally here we are! The great day of Juventus-Inter has arrived and never mind if we had to wait a week longer than expected, or if the stands of the Stadium will be empty: these days it's already a lot to have the championship, even if in inevitably reduced form. Today's Sunday will serve to complete the 26th day, initially partially last weekend, to then continue according to the calendar and resume the course, all Coronavirus permitting: in fact, yesterday too the FIGC president Gravina reiterated that in the case of a player(s) infected / the wheel would risk the stop, while the tweet of Damiano Tommasi, president of the Italian Footballers' Association (“We need something else Let's stop the championship!”), makes it quite clear what the thoughts of his clients are.
In the meantime, however, let's try to enjoy this Sunday, enhanced by the mother of all games. The derby d'Italia, so renamed by Gianni Brera in 1967, is the emblem of all local football rivalries, moreover this year, after several subdued seasons, it is once again decisive for the Scudetto. In the meantime, however, Lazio have also insisted on fighting, currently first on their own, albeit with a one game advantage over Juve and two over Inter, which is why, on the turf in Turin, there will be even heavier points up for grabs than the usual. “This is the most prestigious match in Serie A in terms of history and the crest of the teams, and this season also for the standings – confirmed Sarri to JTV. – After two important markets, Inter have become one of the favorites for the championship, just like us. It will be a good match, Inter's breadth could be a problem for us, but both teams have characteristics with which they can put their opponents in difficulty”.
For the Juventus coach it is a very delicate test: failing it, as well as complicating the Scudetto path a lot, would put him in great difficulty in the face of an environment still angry over the defeat in Lyon. Even for Conte, however, today's match has a very important value, indeed looking at the standings it would even be considered fundamental. Losing would mean going within 9 of Juve and 8 of Lazio: there would still be recovery against Sampdoria, all right, but at that point it would risk being worth very little. “The general conditions are good, obviously we had to adapt to the change of plans, but we worked anyway – explained the Nerazzurri coach to Inter TV. – From this point of view, the boys are extraordinary, I always see great self-sacrifice, availability and desire to raise the bar, but above all to play this type of match with a precise meaning in the standings”.
Both want to win and will try to do it to the best of their strength, starting with the training choices of the two coaches. Sarri has chosen a 4-3-3 with Szczesny in goal, Danilo, Bonucci, Chiellini and Alex Sandro in defence, Bentancur, Pjanic and Matuidi in midfield, Cuadrado, Dybala and Ronaldo in attack. Usual 3-5-2 also for Conte, who will respond with the returning Handanovic in goal, D'Ambrosio, De Vrij and Skriniar in the back, Candreva, Vecino, Brozovic, Barella and Young in the midfield, in support of the composed offensive duo by Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez. Juventus-Inter catalyses the attention but Sunday football offers even more. At 15 pm, for example, the San Siro will turn the spotlights on with a Milan-Genoa match that promises to be quite interesting and not just for the technical aspects.
In fact, it will be the first match that the Rossoneri will play without Boban in the stands: after the rumors of the past few days, the official dismissal wanted by Gazidis also arrived, following the by now famous interview in which the Croatian, from the pages of the Gazzetta dello Sport, he had said all sorts of things to him. Yesterday, after having formalized everything with a cold statement, he spoke to the team and coach, reaffirming his confidence for a good championship finale: if it will be enough to calm the environment, deprived of yet another flag, we will already know today . “We must not have alibis from external factors that do not depend on us – Pioli cut short -. We will face an opponent in condition, who works well and who in previous results has obtained two victories and a hard-fought defeat against Lazio. We will have to show intensity and concentration because it will be a particular match, in which our supporters will be missing: here too, however, no alibi, we are facing an emergency and we must show concentration".
The coach will look for a victory that would be worth joining Napoli in sixth place with the now usual 4-2-3-1, with Begovic in goal (Donnarumma hasn't recovered yet), Conti, Kjaer, Romagnoli and Hernandez in defence, Kessié and Bennacer in midfield, Castillejo, Calhanoglu and Rebic behind the lone striker Ibrahimovic. Nicola will respond with a 3-5-2 that will see Perin in goal, Romero, Soumaoro and Masiello in the back, Biraschi, Behrami, Schone, Sturaro and Criscito in the midfield, Sanabria and Pandev in attack.
