Table of Contents
Andrea Pirlo’s fate could be sealed on Saturday when Juve face Inter in the 176th Derby d’Italia at the Allianz Stadium. The Bianconeri are in stiff competition for a berth in the Champions League and sit on fifth at the table with just two games remaining.
The Nerazzurri’s head to Piedmontese capital, having captured the Scudetto from their bitter rivals after a decade. Antonio Conte’s men easily overcame Juventus 2-0 in the reverse fixture and will certainly be adding another as Inter look poised to end the season on a high note.
Juventus are in serious danger of missing out on the Champions League for next season. The Bianconeris recorded 21 wins, 9 draws and 6 defeats in 36 games – a tally which clearly isn’t enough to guarantee them a spot in the top four. The 2020-21 season hasn’t been kind towards Andrea Pirlo nor Juventus/ With persistent issues both on and off pitch thwarting their dreams of the tenth successive Scudetto. Juve squandered the chance to solidify their place in the top four with a distressful 3-0 loss against AC Milan at home last Sunday. However, a midweek victory against eight-placed Sassuolo on the road brought them back on the winning ways and on the tight Champions League race with Atalanta, Milan and Napoli. Cristiano Ronaldo scored his hundredth goal for the ‘Old Lady’ with Adrien Rabiot and Paulo Dybala also registering their names on the scoresheet. Although the Coppa Italia final against an inspiring Atalanta is Pirlo’s last chance of salvaging something out of season brimmed with mediocrity, the derby at home this weekend could decide Pirlo’s fortune – regardless of his glory in the Cup final.
Inter fans are relishing their lives under Antonio Conte. The former Chelsea boss has led a resurgence among his men since his arrival at the San Siro in 2019, and after finishing second to Juve by a single point, the Italian coach made no mistake in securing his club’s first Scudetto since 2010 with four games remaining this term. Until January, Inter were second in the league table – two points behind city rivals AC Milan, but 16 wins and 4 draws in their last 20 league games clearly cemented their place as the new Italian champions as they look to further extend that unbeaten run in their last two fixtures. In their recent midweek fixture, the Nerazzurri’s continued their dominance and easily brushed aside Roma 3-1 at home, thanks to two early strikes from Marcelo Brozovic and Matias Vecino within the 20th-minute mark. Romelu Lukaku completed the scoresheet in the dying minutes after Henrikh Mkhitaryan managed to pull one back for the Giallorossis right after the interval.
Key Players
Cristiano Ronaldo star has netted 100 goals in 131 games for Juventus thus far and became the first Juventus player to reach three figures in less than three seasons after his goal against Sassuolo on Wednesday. Even at the ripe old age of 37, the megastar has a mind-boggling record of 35 goals in 42 overall appearances and tops the Serie A goal scorer chart with 28 goals so far. The Portugal helped Juve lift their eighth and ninth consecutive Serie A trophy in his first two seasons with the club but failed to guide them to their much anticipated Champions League glory. With the Bianconeris struggling to earn a top-four spot and that Ronaldo’s current deal expires next year, there has been significant speculation over his future.
Matthijs De Ligt joined Juventus in 2019 after a phenomenal start to his career at Ajax and has gone onto represent the Bianconeris 72 times so far. The centre-back has cemented himself as a vital part of Andrea Pirlo’s side and clocks up 1.4 tackles and interceptions per 90 with 2.4 clearances in the same amount of time. His defensive output has also risen significantly this season, with the team only conceding 35 goals compared to 43 the last term.
Having failed to sign Romelu Lukaku at Chelsea, Conte asked for the Belgian immediately after he took office in the summer of 2019, and the striker has repaid the faith shown in him in some style. Lukaku has netted 62 times in 93 appearances till now averaging 2.7 shots and 1.5 key passes every time he takes on the pitch. It has also made him the first Serie A player since 2004-05 to record 20 goals and 10 assists in the same season and earned him a coveted silverware at long last.
Madrid born Moroccan Achraf Hakimi is being touted as one of the best right-backs in the world currently. The 22-year-old joined Inter Milan from Real Madrid in 2020 for a fee in the region of 45 million euros, and in 43 appearances, Hakimi has managed to score 7 goals, and create 10 more for his teammates. A skilled right wing-back who can make a difference at both ends of the pitch, Hakimi’s lightning pace in his overlaps underpins his natural talent quality which had an immediate impact on Conte’s side this season.
Prediction
Saturday’s mouthwatering derby in Turin might be a dead rubber for the Inter faithful, but as for the Old Lady followers, a victory is mandatory whatsoever. Be it an own goal, be it a Cristiano special in the dying minutes. All that matters for Pirlo are three urgent points.
Antonio Conte’s men, on the other hand, haven’t been complacent in their last two outings, battering Sampdoria and Roma in the gap of three days and are favourites to take home yet another three points at the misery of his former employers.
