Like the Premier League, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, or La Liga, Serie A has its fair share of derbies. Some, of course, are bigger than others, but arguably one of the most significant is the Derby d'Italia (Derby of Italy) that takes place between Inter Milan and Juventus twice a year.
Although this rivalry has been in existence since the first meeting on November 14, 1909, it has gotten more bitter and intense following the Calciopoli scandal that saw Juventus stripped of two Scudetto titles - one of which was awarded to Inter. That has only served to fuel the intense dislike between the two teams' fans, but as things stand, it's Nerazzurri supporters who are somewhat gleefully looking forward to welcoming the struggling Bianconeri to the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on Sunday evening.
Inter
Prior to their meeting with Fiorentina, Inter were flying high, with five straight wins vaulting them to the top of the Serie A table. That is, of course, until the Viola decided to pay them a visit and a certain Nikola Kalinić decided to make it the day he scored a hat-trick to star in the 4-1 rout of Roberto Mancini's side in front of their shocked fans. Since then, they have attempted to bounce back, but, still shaken from the heavy loss to Fiorentina, were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw with Sampdoria and will be keen to make amends by downing the reigning Scudetto champions on Sunday evening.
They will also be concerned about Lazio, who sit just one point behind and will be taking on Sassuolo. A win for the Biancocelesti coupled with a draw or loss for Inter would see them slip into third - and possibly fourth - if Roma get the job done against Empoli on Saturday. The pressure will surely be on all of the team's players, but big money signing Geoffrey Kondogbia will definitely feel fans' expectations really starting to grow on his shoulders.
Since being signed from Monaco for over €30 million - with Inter beating AC Milan to acquire him - the French international has been quite subdued in his outings. Naturally, moving from Ligue 1 to Serie A will take some time to adjust, but given his hefty price tag, his new coach will be expecting him to step up his game. Meanwhile, Mancini will be pleased that Stevan Jovetic, who is on loan from Manchester City is back to full health as another attacking option for his squad.
Interestingly, Juventus has become one of Mauro Icardi's favorite teams. The new captain and Argentinian international has scored six goals in five meetings with La Vecchia Signora - three of which whilst he was with Sampdoria - and he will be one that the visitors will have to watch carefully as they hope to drastically improve their disappointing season.
Juventus
With a shock opening day loss to Udinese - the first ever home defeat for Juventus in their history - followed by a loss to Roma and struggling against teams that they would have easily defeated, this has been the worst campaign thus far in most fans' memories. In his debut season, Massimiliano Allegri guided them to a fourth straight Scudetto title, a 10th Coppa Italia win, and more significant, a place in the Champions League - their first ever finals appearance in over a decade.
But, as is the case with many teams, there are always some changes during the summer transfer window. In Juve's case, though, it was three key players: Arturo Vidal, Andrea Pirlo, and Carlos Tevez all departing for Bayern Munich, NYC FC, and Boca Juniors respectively. Whilst they have brought in a whole crop of new faces such as young starlet Paulo Dybala and experienced players including Sami Khedira and Mario Mandzukic, as well as Serie A veteran Juan Cuadrado, things have not gone as smoothly as expected for Allegri's men.
Oddly enough, their poor domestic form has been matched by an excellent showing in the Champions League with wins over Manchester City and Sevilla. They did head into the international hiatus with a confidence-boosting 3-1 win over Bologna, but the team still appears to be far from a finished product and they will hope to make it two straight wins for the first time so far all season.
The Turin giants have also had to deal with a string of unfortunate injuries to several players, throught the season and are just starting to get back to full strength. Still, Alvaro Morata, Cuadrado, and Dybala have looked promising, and the return of Khedira to the midfield appears to have given the side the spark they desperately needed.
Whilst there are many more rounds left to play, the general consensus is that if Juventus fail to win on Sunday evening, their hopes of making it a fifth straight Scudetto will become a pipe dream.
Both teams will be gunning for all three points and indeed, this is one Inter and Juventus fans, as well as general calcio followers will not want to miss!
Make sure you bookmark our special Inter vs. Juventus page for all viewing times and options for the Derby d'Italia.
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