Full-time: Juventus 0-0 Internazionale
Inter’s unbeaten run lives on, and it is now 16 matches without Serie A defeat for Luciano Spalletti’s side. That’s only the second time Juve have dropped points in Turin this season. A charming tactical stalemate.
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90+1 min: Vecino is booked for overrunning the ball and making contact with the top of Benatia’s ankle. Ninety seconds to play in Turin.
90 min: It’s easily dealt with by Perisic, and into three minutes of stoppage time we go.
90 min: Another late challenge by Inter, with Eder needlessly thrusting into the challenge. Cuadrado will deliver, 25 yards from goal ...
88 min: Asamoah charges down the left before fizzing in a cross. Dybala meets it but his header hits an Inter defender and drifts away from goal. Danger averted for Inter.
88 min: D’Ambrosio is booked for hauling Higuain down on the halfway line. That’s everybody back behind the ball for Inter.
87 min: Perisic wins a throw-in off Betancur, who has just replaced Pjanic. Can Inter conjure up any late drama?
84 min: Vecino wins the ball back high up the pitch, robbing Asamoah. The Inter midfielder picks out Brozovic and it opens up nicely for him but his effort arrows wide of the post. Meanwhile, Eder replaces the ineffective Icardi.
82 min: Benatia can count himself unfortunate after conceding a corner after ushering Perisic towards the byline. It’s cleared by Pjanic for another corner, but that’s also swept away.
81 min: Mandzukic has a header on target but its by no means a test for Handanovic in the Inter goal. Immediately after, he chests the ball down brilliantly in the box, controlling a cross from the right but loses his footing. It’s not been his night – not yet anyway.
79 min: Higuain blazes over. It’s high, wide and not handsome.
78 min: Juventus almost work a cute opening, when Dybala robbed Gaguardini. Cuadrado then took over before Higuain tries to pick out the striker. But Inter intercept.
76 min: Inter look for an opening but D’Albert’s cross from the left is too powerful for his team-mates. They look like a team intent on retaining their unbeaten record now. They have at last stemmed the relentless Juve flow.
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75 min: Here comes Paolo Dybala. Juventus introduce their top goalscorer in place of Sami Khedira. A midfielder off for a striker. Allegri wants to win it.
73 min: D’Albert makes his first contribution for Inter by fouling Cuadrado on the halfway line. This match is opening up now. Can either team find a winner?
72 min: But Mandzukic, inside his own penalty area, heads clear. Brozovic then gets a glimpse of goal from an acute angle, but he shoots over. Nice try.
71 min: From the resulting free-kick, Asamoah cuts inside, finds a few square feet to drive into and unleashes a powerful left-footed effort goalwards. Another smart stop by Handanovic. Suddenly, Inter on the counter win a corner through Perisic.
70 min: Vecino fouls Asamoah. Half-chance after half-chance for Juve.
68 min: Khedira angles a shot narrowly wide of the post! A teasing ball from Asamoah sees Handanovic come flailing at the ball, with Miranda heading clear. That was a real mess for a minute in the Inter defence. Juve keep going. Spalletti’s changing it up, with Gaguardini replacing Antonio Candreva. They need to regain some control.
67 min: Inter have lost their groove. They can’t keep hold of the ball and are chasing Juventus shadows at the moment. At the same time, Juve need to find another gear if they are to do any lasting damage. They look a little blunt when it really matters.
65 min: And now Mandzukic is down. And Paolo Dybala’s warming up. Mandzukic is alright but might Juve plump for the Argentinian anyway?
63 min: And that challenge by Santon caused such a crunch that the Inter defender has injured himself. He’s replaced by D’Albert.
62 min: Santon slices Cuadrado’s legs away from him down the right flank. And Juve have a free-kick in another promising position. Cuadrado has looked like a world beater out there tonight at times.
60 min: The set-piece comes to nothing as such, but when Juventus again pry for an opening, Handanovic makes a great save from Cuadrado – who else? He starts and finishes a move, with a busy run into the box, and his header forces a good stop from the Inter goalkeeper.
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60 min: D’Ambrosio fouls Matuidi and Juve have a free-kick from the left. Inter are beginning to retreat, and they’re playing not dissimilarly to how Juve did for much of the first half. Pjanic will deliver ...
58 min: Higuain has a shot on target from 20 yards, but it bumbles its way into the hands of Handanovic.
56 min: Brozovic picks out Icardi, who races on to the ball. The No9 darts inside, before shooting at goal. Inter claim a handball of sorts but Valeri, the referee, is having none of it. That was the first meaningful foray into the box we have seen from Icardi. Inter could do with a little more of that.
55 min: Asamoah and Matuidi play a neat one-two, but the winger then makes the wrong decision, with Inter only too happy to intervene. You sense a mistake might end up settling a game of this nature.
52 min: The ball just keeps coming back at Inter. And it keeps finding Juan Cuadrado too. Spalletti’s side really need to stop the Juve winger picking it up in dangerous areas.
51 min: Cuadrado plays another ball into the box, towards Higuain but the Juve forward is comfortably outnumbered. Then the ball is cleared before it comes straight back at Inter. Cuadrado – again – is the source of the Juve attack, with a deep cross finding Mandzukic at the back post. The only thing is, he was a little unknowing, too slow to react and the ball cannons off his shin pad, and into the hands of Handanovic.
49 min: Vecino is again involved before Santon buys a throw-in down the left flank from De Sciglio. But Juve go forward on the counter through Cuadrado, before the ball is switched to Asamoah. Vecino gets back at his man to do the dirty work.
47 min: Vecino does well on the overlap to win Inter – believe it or not – their first corner of this match. In it comes from Candreva, but it’s cleared by the head of Higuain.
46 min: Matuidi is almost caught in possession by Candreva but he steers the ball back to his feet. After Pjanic and then Cuadrado sweep the ball into the box, Matuidi has a shot blocked from the edge of the box. And with that, Inter pour forward.
Peeeeeeeeeeeeep!
And we’re back under way in Turin. Benatia boots the ball upfield as Juve look to go on the offensive.
The second half is almost upon us. Luciano Spalletti, for one, looks excited to get part two of this fun started.
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Half-time: Juventus 0-0 Internazionale
Mandzukic has had the two best chances, once denied by Handanovic and then by the crossbar. Inter have looked pretty cool and comfortable other than that.
45 min: Mandzukic rattles the bar! Cuadrado whips a gorgeous, curling ball towards the back post, where an onrushing Mario Mandzukic comes crashing in, sending a header against the woodwork. Just 30 seconds of this half remain ...
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42 min: Inter just seem to be losing the grip they had on this game. Cuadrado passes to Khedira, whose effort deflects wide for a corner. Chiellini then has a moan before its taken, over some wrestling with his marker. When it’s finally taken, there’s a foul in the box somewhere so Mandzukic’s goalwards effort means Handanovic can breathe easy. He still makes the save but danger over for Inter.
41 min: Pjanic delivers but Skriniar, signed from Sampdoria in July, heads clear. He’s been brilliant this season and has looked pretty assured so far this evening. De Sciglio then whips the ball back in, causing a moment’s confusion, but Handanovic does well to clean that up. No problem.
39 min: Cuadrado has been bright for Juve. Perisic chops him down and gets a booking for his troubles. Juventus have a free-kick in a decent position then, out on the right 30 yards from goal ...
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38 min: Gonzalo Higuain – who has been completely anonymous – gets a needless booking for dissent. He looks one frustrated forward out there. In fairness, Juve have hardly given him anything to work with.
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37 min: Then Juventus come again. A decent move sees Khedira played in, just inside the box. He hits a half-volley early but it’s too close to Handanovic and the Inter keeper has no real problem dealing with that.
36 min: Pjanic delivers the free-kick from the left but Skriniar is fouled, and Juventus waste the chance to attack.
35 min: Chiellini struggles to the floor after a mere brush with Vecino. Ah, not so lovely.
34 min: Juve just cannot get the ball of Inter. Until the final third, at least. Perhaps Allegri will be content with that, as long as they’re keeping them at bay, but Inter, especially as the away side, look a lot more dangerous here. And now Santon clatters Cuadrado. He’s lucky to get away with no booking there.
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32 min: Valero plays a floating cross-field ball to Perisic but the Croat gets caught in two minds, and slices the ball out for a goal-kick.
30 min: Inter almost play their own way into trouble, with Santon and then Miranda inviting Juve pressure but Inter get a little lucky, winning a goal kick to relieve pressure. Handanovic wallops it back downfield, and Inter seek out an opening but Brozovic loses it after becoming overwhelmed at the final pass.
29 min: And Marcelo Brozovic is the first Inter player to be booked, after a late challenge of Pjanic. The game has just become a little bogged down in midfield.
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27 min: The first yellow card of the evening is brandished in the direction of Mehdi Benatia, for a lunge through the back of Mauro Icardi’s legs. That was silly. Inter look to pour forward once more, with Brozovic once more at the heart of it, before Candreva’s cross is cleared – again – by Chiellini.
26 min: Vecino crunches Asamoah to the ground, and Juventus win a free-kick. And a chance to swing the pendulum back in their favour. They haven’t been great thus far.
24 min: From a good 30 yards or so, Brozovic loops a curling effort goalwards, presumably it started out as a cross in his own mind but forces Szczesny to backpeddle, and in the end, comfortably save. For a moment, it looked as though his effort might endanger Juventus.
23 min: This is another encouraging spell for Inter. They’re knocking it about lovely.
20 min: Inter hold up Asamoah before Chiellini launches the ball into the box. But the Juve skipper’s ball is too ambitious. The 33-year-old then does brilliantly at the other end, to steal the ball away from Perisic’s feet.
19 min: De Sciglio makes a foray down the right wing but his cross is overcooked. Now Asamoah looks to drive forward down the left. At least Juve are beginning to wake, and at least suss out the opposition a little.
17 min: Inter continue to squeeze Juventus very high up the pitch. Allegri’s side just don’t look to know how to deal with their intensive press. The counterattack, as we’ve already seen when Mandzukic forced Handanovic to save earlier on, is perhaps the best form of attack for the hosts.
15 min: Chiellini, this his 450th appearance in a Juve shirt, does well to prevent Candreva from breaking down the right flank. Inter look to rebuild from central midfield, before Perisic again supplies Candreva. But Mandzukic blocks his cross.
14 min: Pjanic strikes it, wrapping his right foot around the ball, but he gets it horribly wrong. Inter look to attack themselves.
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11 min: Cuadrado’s stepovers cause Valero a headache, so the Inter man resorts to fouling him 20-odd yards from goal. A free-kick in a nice position for Juventus. Pjanic will fancy his chances from this distance ...
8 min: And, right on cue, Inter hack the ball off the line. Cuadrado’s ball evades everybody, finding its way to Mandzukic at the back stick. He prods it goalwards, but it’s saved by Handanovic, before Miranda then slings a boot at it to clear. A big let-off for Inter. Juve have come alive, making their first statement of intent.
7 min: Pjanic makes a clumsy challenge on Brozovic. Paolo Valeri, the referee, just tells them both to get on with it. They do just that. Juventus, though, seem to be struggling to get out of their own half.
6 min: Ambrosio gets the better of Mandzukic but Kwadwo Asamoah, on his 29th birthday helps out his Juve team-mate. And then Inter regain possession through Perisic down the left flank.
5 min: It’s all very slow and steady from Inter but they look pretty comfortable out there. Juventus have not had a lot to shout about just yet.
3 min: Khedira is grounded. He takes a whack in the face from a bouncing ball. It does not look like anything more than that.
2 min: Inter are seeing lots of the ball. Juventus have a load of bodies behind it. Mandzukic then wins a foul to break down that phase of possession.
1 min: Valero is cool under pressure to wriggle out of a tricky situation. Inter start a little slapdash but Handanovic just calms things down at the back.
Peeeeeeeeeeeep!
And Inter get us under way.
Kick-off is almost upon us in Turin ... the teams are just navigating their way out of the tunnel. A reminder that Luciano Spalletti’s Internazionale remain Serie A’s only unbeaten side. But there’s more than just records at stake tonight.
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Earlier on this evening in Serie A, Cagliari drew 2-2 with Sampdoria, who raced into a two-goal lead thanks to Fabio Quagliarella’s double. Roma and Napoli, who will surely be keeping an eagle eye on this one, are both in action tomorrow, against Chievo and Fiorentina respectively.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inter Milan | 15 | 23 | 39 |
| 2 | Napoli | 15 | 25 | 38 |
| 3 | Juventus | 15 | 27 | 37 |
| 4 | Roma | 14 | 17 | 34 |
| 5 | Lazio | 14 | 19 | 32 |
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Team news news: Georgio Chiellini is back, as is Miralem Pjanic for Juve, and Mario Mandzukic also comes into the starting XI. For Inter, Miranda returns to the back line while Ivan Perisic will be looking to build on his hat-trick against Chievo in their 5-0 victory last Sunday.
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Team news!
Juventus: Szczesny, De Sciglio, Benatia, Chiellini, Asamoah, Khedira, Pjanic, Matuidi, Cuadrado, Higuain, Mandzukic
Subs: Pinsoglio, Loria, Barzagli, Rugani, Alex Sandro, Marchisio, Sturaro, Bentancur, Dybala, Douglas Costa, Bernardeschi
Internazionale: Handanovic, D’Ambrosio, Skriniar, Miranda, Santon, Vecino, Valero, Candreva, Brozovic, Perisic, Icardi
Subs: Padelli, Berni, Gaguardini, Cancelo, Mario, Ranocchia, Karamoh, Eder, D’Albert, Nagatomo, Pinamonti
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Preamble
So here it is, the Derby d’Italia. Internazionale are unbeaten and top of the tree, but three points for the reigning champions in Turin this evening would see Massimiliano Allegri’s side leapfrog them. The last time Inter were riding this high in Serie A was January 2016. Both sides are on a three-match winning run, so something has to give. As for the importance of victory, the “match may not decide who wins the Scudetto,” Allegri mused on Friday, “but Juve and Inter are two teams who will fight for the title until the very end of the season.”
Juventus, on home turf, will fancy their chances, although they came unstuck against Lazio in October. Wojciech Szczesny may be in between the sticks owing to Gianluigi Buffon’s prolonged calf injury while up front, Paulo Dybala, Miralem Pjanic and Mario Mandzukic are all doubts. But they scarcely have trouble scoring goals, averaging 2.7 per Serie A match this term. As for Inter, they are pretty mean in defence having conceded 10 league goals all season.
“This match is defined as the derby of Italy,” Luciano Spalletti, the Inter coach, said. “We know the obstacle that lies ahead of us.”
Kick-off: 7.45pm (GMT)
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