In a shock at the top between the defending champion and his runner-up last season, it was Inter who got the better of Juventus and who won 2 goals to 0 thanks to an excellent match from Nicolo Barella.
It was the big shock of this 18th day of Serie A, the famous Italian derby between two legendary Calcio clubs. Antonio Conte’s Inter hosted Andrea Pirlo’s Juventus. The defending champion was fifth before the kick-off, 7 points behind leaders AC Milan, but with one game late. The Nerazzurri was second before the start of the match, 3 points behind their neighbor Milan.
The two clubs were on two different dynamics: Juve remained on 3 consecutive wins in Serie A, while Inter had won only one league meeting in 2021 out of 3 contests. Romelu Lukaku’s partners presented themselves with just one change from the game against Roma, the start of Ashley Young on the left in place of Matteo Darmian.
It is Inter who will start strong with a team block placed very high on the pitch and intense pressing on the Turin defensive line. From the sixth minute, Marcelo Brozovic is dangerous on a free-kick, entering the area. The first warning for Pirlo’s men.
The Bianconeri will think they respond in the best way by opening the scoring with a goal from Cristiano Ronaldo in the tenth minute of play, quickly refused for an offside position from Alvaro Morata, the passer.
Moments later, it is the former Turinese Arturo Vidal who will open the scoring with a header on a cross on the right side of Barella. The summer rookie unblocking this derby after having suffered many criticisms for his last performances. The Milanese will then continue to push and seek to worsen the score. The thing that they could have done, from the twenty-third minute of play, if Lautaro had not missed a ready-made opportunity.
Against a counter still led by Barella, the Italian midfielder sends in depth the Belgian international who tries his luck at the entrance to the surface. His shot is deflected by Szczesny and returns the ball to the feet of the Argentine striker who sends it into the air. Just before half-time, the Bianconeri seek to return to the score through the Portuguese Ballon d’Or which is sought in the air, his header is missed and the rest of the action will give nothing.
His shot is deflected by Szczesny and returns the ball to the feet of the Argentine striker who sends it into the air. Just before half-time, the Bianconeri seek to return to the score through the Portuguese Ballon d’Or which is sought in the air, his header is missed and the rest of the action will give nothing.
His shot is deflected by Szczesny and returns the ball to the feet of the Argentine striker who sends it into the air. Just before half-time, the Bianconeri seek to return to the score through the Portuguese Ballon d’Or which is sought in the air, his header is missed and the rest of the action will give nothing.
An Inter found thanks to a Barella XXL
At half-time, Inter logically leads the score after dominating the game for the first 45 minutes. No change for Pirlo on the restart despite the disappointing performance of his players.
Conte doesn’t change his plans either. On returning from the locker room, the residents of Giuseppe Meazza go back to the front and will repeatedly heat the gloves of the Polish goalkeeper of Juve. In the 51st, Bastoni saw the in-depth appeal of Nicolo Barella and launched the former Cagliari, who found himself alone against Szczesny.
The pocket midfielder does not tremble and comes to register the goal of the break with a powerful shot in the top corner. 2-0 for Inter. Just after the second interest goal, Andrea Pirlo decides (finally) to make some changes and bring in Kulusevski, McKennie, and Bernardeschi who come to replace Ramsey, Rabiot, and Frabotta (injured on the action of the second goal). We then think at that time to see a team of the Old Lady more comfortable offensively, but nothing changes. Inter continue to be the most dangerous.
In a counter-attack, Lautaro Martinez plays Chiellini and fails to fold the match (71st), his shot goes near the post. In the last minutes of the match, Samir Handanovic will protect his cage from a reduction in the score on a strike from Federico Chiesa (86th). Juve is active and seeks to ignite this match. Finally, no other goal will be scored and Inter wins in this meeting against the defending champion and comes back to the height of his other enemy long, AC Milan.
In difficulty this season, after a catastrophic Champions League campaign, the Interests will have regained their game which had been so effective last season. Antonio Conte’s plan was clear and was well respected throughout the meeting. High pressure, side play, mad energy riot. The symbol of this match is obviously Nicolo Barella who will have been everywhere tonight. Midfielder comfortable defensively, we will have seen him at work in an attack in this meeting much more.
On the initiative of numerous counter-attacks, that did not prevent him from continuing his pressing at the end of the match. Even without a decisive Lautaro Martinez – Romelu Lukaku duo, Inter scored 2 goals in the best defense of the championship (16 goals conceded before the match).