We don't get to talk much about Serie A in this country (unless we are talking Michael Bradley or Serie A teams in Champions league) and that is primarily because of the lack of coverage here in the US. The other thing about this particular matchup is that we here in the US don't talk much about the 3-5-2 formation that both of these teams employ. This one is a big one Juvents vs Inter, La Derby d'Italia. 214 times this game has been played and it has failed to disappoint.
Lets looks at the facts to start with:
- Both teams have started the season at 2-0
- These are two of the longest tenured teams in Serie A. Inter has been up for 82 season, Juventus, 81 seasons
- Juventus is reigning champion, Inter finished 9th in 2012-2013
- Juventus has 29 championships, Inter has 18. These two teams have won all but 2 Serie A championships in the past decade.
- Inter has fallen from grace of late having fallen from their last championship in 2009-2010 to 2nd, 6th and currently 9th place. Inter also won the Champions League in 2009-2010
- Juventus has the Derby d'Italia lead with 94 wins to Inter's 67, the have drawn 46 times totale
On paper it would seem like these two teams are trending in opposite directions. Juventus has a veteran squad that has been together for several years with superstars Gianluigi Buffon in goal and Andrea Pirlo prowling the center of the park. The also have made big moves to bring in Carlos Tevez, the Uruguayan striker joins them from Man City and French U-20 hero Paul Pogba who has featured heavily for this team over the past year and will continue to do so.
Inter on the other hand has lost some of the fire that has been heavily featured at San Siro over the previous decades. Argentine veteran Esteban Cambiasso has been here since 2004 but he is one of the few constants, that also include Diego Milito (injured) and Javier Zanetti. Gone are Samuel Eto'o and Wesley Snejider or their UEFA championship squad in 09-10. This squad has had to make several changes including new head coach Walter Mazzarri. Inter even seems kinda poison on the transfer market, failing to bring in any big name talent from some of the larger clubs in Europre, players preferring to transfer instead to AC Milan, Lazio, Roma or (unfortunately) Juventus.
On paper looking at this match-up, you get really excited about the prospect of Cambiasso vs Pirlo...but you quickly realize it Pogba and Arturo Vidal are gonna get involved heavily in that battle and Inter's other CM's, likely Kovacic and Guarin are not even in the same category as the guys Juve have in their possession hub. The depth and overall talent that Juventus brings to this match cannot be understated, Inter will give them a run for a while because everyone gets up a little more for a derby, but they just can't handle the champions this time around
2-0 Juventus