Serie A Preview: Inter vs Juventus – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

One of the most highly anticipated fixtures in the Serie A calendar pits arch-rivals Inter and Juventus against each other on Sunday late afternoon. Stadio Giuseppe Meazza forms the backdrop for the 252nd iteration of the famous Derby d’Italia.

Though we’re still early in the season, this contest has all the makings of a Scudetto six-pointer. Only one point separates the two Serie A powerhouses ahead of the kick-off, with second-placed Inter also trailing pacesetters Napoli by two.

After a slow start to their Scudetto defense, Simone Inzaghi’s men are seemingly back on track. Marcus Thuram’s late heroics in Bern fired Inter to a crucial 1-0 UEFA Champions League win against Young Boys on Wednesday, extending their winning run in all competitions to five.

However, Sunday’s task is nothing short of Herculean. Juventus’ clear-cut lead in the overall head-to-head stakes (W117, D62, L77) speaks volumes. Still, it doesn’t show the whole picture. Inter have recently turned the tables on the Bianconeri, going unbeaten in their last four meetings across all competitions (W2, D2).

On top of that, Juventus suffered their first loss under new manager Thiago Motta in midweek Champions League action as Stuttgart ran out 1-0 victors in Turin. It must have dampened the visitors’ spirits, even though they remain the only Serie A team yet to lose a league game this season (W4, D4).

Match Preview

Inter

Except for a frustrating 2-1 defeat to fierce rivals Milan in September’s Derby della Madonnina, Inter have reigned supreme in four other competitive home matches this season. Indeed, Inzaghi’s men have emerged triumphant from all four, overcoming their rivals by multi-goal margins.

Any margin will do on Sunday as Inter pursue a feat they last achieved two decades ago when they defeated Juventus in back-to-back Serie A encounters. The reigning champions squeaked past the Turin giants 1-0 at this venue en route to their landmark 20th Scudetto last term and probably wouldn’t mind posting another narrow win.

Low scoring has been a recurring theme in this fixture. Eight of the last nine Serie A meetings between Inter and Juventus have featured under 2.5 goals, suggesting whoever gets on the scoresheet first would likely avoid defeat. With six first-half goals in four home league outings, the Nerazzurri are decent value to break the deadlock.

Juventus

Motta has based his early Serie A success in charge of Juventus on a formidable defensive line. While his men have yet to keep a clean sheet in the Champions League, they’ve only conceded once in eight Serie A matches thus far. It makes them the best defensive side in Europe’s traditional top-five leagues this season.

Furthermore, they’re the only team to have registered a shutout on all four top-flight travels in 2024/25. However, inconsistency in the front of goal has been the visitors’ Achilles heel. That’s perhaps best illustrated by three scoring blanks in eight Serie A contests. On the bright side, only one of those scoreless outings came on the road.

Discipline has become a significant problem for Juventus, as evidenced by three red cards picked up across their last four competitive games. They cannot afford another ill-tempered showing if they’re to uphold their fantastic H2H record against Inter in Serie A (W87, D46, L49).

Team News

After losing Francesco Acerbi and Hakan Calhanoglu to injuries in a 1-0 win at Roma last weekend, Inter suffered another setback in Switzerland. Carlos Augusto sustained a muscle strain, joining long-term absentee Tajon Buchanan on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Kristjan Asllani returns to the fold for the first time after the international break.

On the other hand, Juventus cannot call upon the services of Paul Pogba, Glesion Bremer, Arkadiusz Milik, and Nicolas Gonzalez. Question marks still hang over the heads of summer arrivals Douglas Luiz and Teun Koopmeiners, with the latter still recovering from a broken rib.

Inter vs Juventus Potential Lineups

Inter (3-5-2): Yann Sommer; Benjamin Pavard, Stefan de Vrij, Alessandro Bastoni; Matteo Darmian, Davide Frattesi, Nicolo Barella, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Federico Dimarco; Marcus Thuram, Lautaro Martinez.

Juventus (4-3-3): Michele Di Gregorio; Andrea Cambiaso, Pierre Kalulu, Federico Gatti, Juan Cabal; Weston McKennie, Manuel Locatelli, Nicolo Fagioli; Francisco Conceicao, Dusan Vlahovic, Kenan Yildiz.

Inter vs Juventus Prediction

Inzaghi’s offensive-minded football contrasts Motta’s safety-first approach. But the Inter manager isn’t a stranger to tactical flexibility when needed. Therefore, another low-scoring stalemate is a distinct possibility.