Inter 1-0 Juventus: Fine Margins
The Derby d’Italia does not need the promise of silverware to be relevant, even though its status is borne out of success, not geography. Still, a first Inter-Juve title tilt for more than two decades added a layer of intrigue to Sunday night’s clash in Milan.
This is not the Milan derby, where the intensity manifests itself on the pitch more often than not. In the Inzaghi-Allegri era, only two of their nine derbies involved more than two goals. The clash in style lends itself to that, with Inter’s verticality the unstoppable force meeting Juventus’ immovable object.
Aesthetics are for the facade of the Duomo, not title fights. Max Allegri cares not for the empty praise of man, but for the eternal glory of silverware; hence his modern revival of catenaccio. Juventus’ stern defence had conceded only seven goals since a 4-2 loss against Sassuolo in September, allowing them to churn out 1-0 wins like their owners do with the Fiat 500.
The build-up to this derby brought out all the great clichés, none more prevalent than describing the game as a six-pointer. To be fair, it was. A win for Inter put them four points clear with a game in hand, a win for Juventus enough to send them top, even if only until Inter caught up.
Vlahovic received McKennie's pass like a dog trapping a balloon.
Both teams’ game plans were obvious. Get the first goal, then worry about the rest. Juventus could take the lead and bolt the door shut. Should Inter score first, they would almost certainly force Allegri to order his boys out of their turtle shell.
The game ebbed and flowed throughout its first half hour, with Inter dominant while Juventus lay in wait, desperate to catch their opponent cold on the counter.
Minutes after Dusan Vlahovic received Weston McKennie’s pass into the Inter half like a dog trapping a balloon, an attempted overhead kick from Benjamin Pavard ended with the ball bundled into Juventus’ goal. Minutes before half-time, Inter were ahead and their rivals’ gameplan was out the window.
Federico Gatti’s own goal was not an individual error but the result of Inter’s bold and brave approach. Only a team allowed reasonable creative freedom could conjure a move that culminated in a centre-back performing an overhead air-kick.
Were a Juventus defender to wander up field and try that, the TV viewer would almost certainly spot Allegri in the corner, flailing with anger from the touchline. Whilst it is deeply uncool to look down upon the defensive football that revitalised this Juventus team, it is worth pointing out its fatal flaw; a well-considered attacking move.
With the names Thuram, Chiesa and Weah called out by the commentators, you could have been forgiven for harking back to Serie A’s golden age, but the financial reality of modern football means collective strength takes prominence over star power in 2024.
Juventus’ counter-attacks looked dangerous until the camera panned to the Inter half, where multiple nerazzurri jerseys lay in wait.
For Juventus, that has meant re-inventing McKennie as a wing-back and turning Danilo into one of Europe’s most underrated centre-backs, all in aid of the cause. Federico Chiesa has flirted with the idea of being the team’s fantasista, the creative genius, but is yet to fully deliver. Regardless, his team cannot afford to rely on the brain of one player to make things happen, let alone one with lingering injury problems.
As the game raged on, Inter’s collective power showed. Rarely did they look stretched by Juventus’ counter-attacks, which looked dangerous until the camera panned to the Inter half, where multiple nerazzurri jerseys lay in wait.
Even as Juventus pushed for an equaliser throughout the second-half while managing the rare feat of dominating possession, it was the leaders who had the greater chances. An elite save from Wojciech Szczęsny denied Marko Arnautovic’s attempt to double the lead in the 87th minute, while a few Juventus crosses were a mere toe poke from a certain goal. Fine margins; the difference in a title race.
With Inter holding on to win, they are now firmly in the driving seat. It is February and they have lost once all season, to Sassuolo in September, and have conceded only ten goals. While four points is by no means insurmountable, it does seem unlikely that Inter fail to win it from here.
They are the best team in Italy, and not far off it in Europe either. Questions over their attacking depth remain, but this is a team coached by a man who has mastered the art of rotation, and has demonstrated aptitude in managing big games. Perhaps the Derby d’Italia title race ended just as quickly as it began, but knowing Serie A, one cannot rule out a twist ahead.
On the night, Juventus blinked first and Inter asked questions of Allegri’s system that it could not answer. As for the scudetto, who blinks next will go a long way to determining whether Inter get that second star. It is Inter’s title to win, but also to lose.
