Inter Milan return to San Siro on Saturday night knowing that another Derby d’Italia victory will tighten their grip on the Serie A title race.
Christian Chivu’s side started the weekend with an early lead and this game offers another chance to put some distance away from the chasers.
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Inter Milan’s form suggests they will need some pause, they are on a 12-game unbeaten run in the league and have just beaten Sassuolo 5-0 heading into this game.
The result was yet another reminder of their depth and pace, with Federico Di Marco again at the center of everything as Inter beat opponents who couldn’t stand their intensity.
It also extended a run of five consecutive wins in all competitions, keeping Inter ahead on multiple fronts as the season heads into its decisive month.
However, regardless of the standings, Juventus is still the opponent that continues to make Inter Milan’s life uncomfortable.
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September’s match, a chaotic seven-goal thriller that Juventus won 4-3, remains one of the clearest examples of how Inter Milan can quickly lose control in crucial moments.
Inter Milan have also dropped points in direct matches against other leading teams this season and they are desperate to end that trend in front of their own supporters.
Juventus have not arrived in Milan with the same momentum and their recent performances have lacked authority.
Luciano Spalletti’s side drew 2-2 with Lazio last weekend, needing Pierre Carruru’s 96th-minute equalizer, a result that highlighted the imbalance in their current record.
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Juventus has only won one of their past four games, and their away form is particularly worrying, with goals being difficult to achieve.
Even so, games like this never go according to script, and Juventus have enough attacking prowess to punish any mistakes.
Kenan Yildiz has hurt Inter in recent games and the visitors believe they can make this another chaotic night.
For Inter Milan, the task is to stay calm and collected.
They have the strongest structure in the league, depth and a lead worth protecting, but they need to match Juventus’ dominance and mood.
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If they do, they’ll be well-positioned to hone the type of talent that champions typically need.
If Juventus produce something extraordinary, Inter will need to prove they can withstand the tests that derailed them before.
