Juventus are making a point against Inter as title rumors grow louder in Turin

On the eve of the season’s first Derby d’Italia, both managers insisted they would not “sign for a draw”. Simone Inzaghi was pragmatic, claiming he would never do that “unless it is the second stage [of a knockout game] and you’ve already won the first one. Massimiliano Allegri found a way to do that even more, saying, “No. We have to play the match that starts at 8:45 p.m.”

Those answers were as inevitable as the question being asked. Neither manager could indicate in advance that they would be willing to settle for a point in a match against their most likely rival for the Serie A title. Still, it was reasonable to think that this outcome would suit them both.

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Twelve games into the new season, Inter topped the table with more goals scored and fewer goals conceded than any other team. A side that faced Manchester City in the Champions League final in June had taken the confidence they had developed during their European run and played some of the best football in the competition.

Juventus were the only ones to keep in touch with them, trailing by just two points in the standings. Their football was less attractive to watch; Allegri’s players regularly camped in a low block and surrendered possession even to opponents from the bottom half of the table, but the results confirmed their approach. Like Inter, they had only lost one match this season.

Allegri insisted they weren’t thinking about a title challenge, but no one believed him. A few days earlier, midfielder Weston McKennie told Italian Sky Sport that “it is time to bring the Scudetto back to Turin”.

A win over Inter might add fuel to the fire, but a draw would keep it burning almost as well. Competitions are not won in November and keeping Inter on their heels will keep players focused and motivated for less high-profile matches ahead.

So is the Nerazzurri had more to lose in defeat than to gain in victory. Staying on top and knocking one of the toughest games of the season off the list can hardly be seen as a negative, especially with the visits to Napoli and Lazio in the next three weeks.

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It was therefore logical to expect a cautious game. For a brief and surprising moment, it looked like we might be getting something else. Juventus pulled off a surprise by appointing 23-year-old Hans Nicolussi Caviglia for his first start in midfield. Then another by pursuing an early goal. Federico Chiesa flashed a shot over before setting up Dusan Vlahovic to give them a 27th-minute lead.

The Serb himself had initiated the attack by winning the ball from Denzel Dumfries in the center of the pitch, turning to feed Chiesa on the left flank and then galloping forward to receive the return ball and pass it for the first time placed in the bottom corner. He celebrated by cupping his ears and making a “keep talking” gesture with his hands.

At moments like these, it’s easy to understand why Juventus felt moved early last year to complete a €70 million deal to sign Vlahovic from Fiorentina. The physicality, acceleration and deft finishing – with finesse over strength doing the trick – were in an elite category. Yet this was his first goal in 71 days. It is not an outside critic, but his own manager who sometimes preferred to create Moise Kean.

Inter responded almost immediately, countering a Juventus fast break with an own goal. Goalkeeper Yann Sommer fed Dumfries down the right, he held the ball forward with one touch to Nicolò Barella and the Italian did the same to release Marcus Thuram towards the corner of the Juventus box. Lautaro Martínez timed a run at the front post perfectly to meet his attacking partner’s low cross and sweep it into the far corner.

This was the Argentine’s 13th Serie A goal this season, and his 27th of 2023. He needs just two more by the end of next month to make this the most productive calendar year ever for an Inter player. Christian Vieri and Diego Milito reached 28 in 2001 and 2012 respectively.

Lautaro doesn’t do it alone. This was the fourth assist given to him by Thuram, a free transfer in the summer whose rare combination of exceptional dribbling and generous distribution makes him an ideal opponent: able to put a defense on its heels in a way that 37-year-old Edin Dzeko could no longer and was just as willing to give up shooting opportunities to create better ones for his teammate.

The teams went into halftime at 1-1. They might as well not have come back. The second half was completely without incident, with the two teams combining for one shot. La Gazzetta dello SportLuigi Garlando’s Luigi Garlando described it in his match report on Monday morning as “one of the ugliest matches in the history of the Derby d’Italia.”

Allegri and Inzaghi claimed they didn’t want to sign for a draw, but when one showed up on their doorstep, it turned out neither man was willing to turn down the delivery. “Last year we played an identical match, but we lost,” said the Inter manager. “By staying in Inter’s wake we can build self-confidence,” said his Juventus counterpart.

On paper it was a result that also satisfied their rivals. Milan had defeated Fiorentina earlier on Sunday to move within six points of the leaders. Fans were even more excited to see the senior debut of Francesco Camarda, the youngest player to ever feature in a Serie A match, aged 15 years and 260 days old.

He’s been on their radar for years. Verifiable goals in football’s younger age categories are difficult to establish, but in 2021, when Camarda was 13, it was reported that he had scored 483 times in 87 matches. He has seven in 13 for Milan Under-19s this season, including a sensational scissor kick in the UEFA Youth League against Paris Saint-Germain.

Napoli also won this weekend, beating Atalanta in their first game since replacing Rudi Garcia as manager with Walter Mazzarri. The reigning champions may be able to defend their title even more strongly than we have seen so far.

Juventus 1-1 Inter, Roma 3-1 Udinese, Empoli 3-4 Sassuolo, Frosinone 2-1 Genoa, Cagliari 1-1 Monza, Milan 1-0 Fiorentina, Atalanta 1-2 Napoli, Salernitana 2-1 Lazio.

Monday Verona against Lecce, Bologna against Turin

Still, the favorites for now are the front two. Allegri may protest that Juventus does not consider themselves a contender, but his players continue to tell a different story. “The goal, mine and the goal we say to each other in the dressing room, is to win the Scudetto,” Adrien Rabiot said at full-time.

Being banished from Europe, they are free to make it their sole focus. It’s still early to worry about the league standings, but Juventus will nevertheless relish a chance to go top – at least for two days – if they can beat Monza on Friday night.