Allegri enjoys a rediscovered Bremer, Inzaghi can count on the DAB: the Italian derby is also the match between the two teams with the fewest goals conceded
Juventus-Inter on Sunday 26th will be played… in defence. Because facing them will be the teams that concede the fewest goals in the championship (6 for Inzaghi’s men, 7 for Allegri’s) and who have collected the most clean sheets of all (8) in Serie A. Because the Bianconeri also have 5 goalscorers who defenders do their job. And because the Nerazzurri have three of the defenders called up by coach Spalletti, namely Darmian, Acerbi and Bastoni. They won’t be the BBC which wrote history in Turin by winning championships in series, but even the… DAB is taking some satisfaction away. The Italian derby on paper will not be a match with many goals, but it promises to be exciting also thanks to the concentration, compactness and determination that the two coaches have instilled in the phase of non-possession of their respective teams.
BLACK AND WHITE MUSCLES
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The Lady that arrives at the duel with Inter is a team that ended its unbeaten streak after 615 minutes. Dossena from Cagliari took care of stabbing Szczesny who, however, avoided doubling his lead with a great intervention and in the end celebrated the victory with his teammates. Juventus, which was taking in water from all sides last season, has become a team of steel. It hasn’t changed the men, but the mentality: Gatti has become a lion, Bremer has returned to being the centre-back that Agnelli stole from Inter by paying him 50 million (including bonuses) from Torino and then there’s Danilo (currently in the pits together to Alex Sandro), Rugani and baby Huijsen. Anyone who plays has the spirit of the BBC inside them: be careful, we’re talking about spirit, mentality, certainly not technical qualities because there haven’t been many trios like Barzagli, Bonucci and Chiellini in history. Even the current defenders of the Lady, however, have that desire to defend at all costs that recalls their illustrious predecessors: they rejoice after a winning intervention as if they scored. And sometimes… they really score like what happened to Bremer and Rugani against Cagliari. When the first goal arrived, conceded on a dead ball. A small flaw in an evening that was nevertheless positive because, in light of yesterday’s results from Milan, Napoli and Atalanta, the gap on fifth place (the Goddess) is now 9 points. A nice loot. The current Lady knows that she is not beautiful in terms of the expressed game, but she doesn’t care because she prefers to have solid foundations. Or, if you prefer, a championship defensive phase given that everyone sacrifices themselves in the non-possession phase. Including Locatelli, the breakwater in front of the defense, and the wingers, who often act as full-backs rather than midfielders. Allegri’s diktat is clear: the common cause counts and everyone has devoted themselves to this in the season which must at least lead to qualification for the next Champions League. As? Conceding few goals. With Vlahovic and Chiesa struggling to get it in for now, according to Max it’s the only way possible. The current second place proves him right. The test against the Nerazzurri at the restart will clarify many things.
NERAZZURRO BLOCK
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The Inter that faces the challenge most felt by its people is a team that among its certainties does not only have its rock-solid defense, but also its play, its scoring phase and its physical condition. Sommer, in his first experience in Italy, picked up one less ball behind him than his colleague Szczesny, who knows Serie A like the back of his hand. The Swiss skidded against Sassuolo, the same opponent against which the Pole made a duck, but then he was often decisive. He often gets cold and bored, but when called upon, the former Bayern man responds. It also happened against Frosinone. In Turin, Sunday 26th, the night will almost certainly be electric and he too will have to be ready. Like Darmian, Acerbi and Bastoni who, without any bad surprises in the national team, will play at the Allianz Stadium. Pavard, struggling with a dislocated left kneecap, is working to return before Christmas, but in the meantime he will watch the Italian derby from TV or from the stands. It will be up to the all-Italian defense to live the match with a capital “p”, a challenge that two seasons ago awarded both the Supercoppa Italia and the Coppa Italia to Inter. Darmian and Bastoni were among the protagonists, while Acerbi was still wearing the Lazio shirt. The three Nerazzurri players will start playing the Italian derby from today in Coverciano where there will be six Nerazzurri players and five Bianconeri players. Maybe in some match on the Florentine pitches the DAB will face Kean and Chiesa in a preview of what will happen in less than two weeks at the Stadium. Inzaghi, on the other hand, will enjoy a few hours of rest thinking back to how his team has learned to combine the defensive phase with the offensive one. Because having both the best attack and the best defense of the tournament is a good starting point for Simone, who last April 15th after the home defeat against Monza saw his Nerazzurri future in the balance and is now considered a point of reference for everything the Inter world not only for the renewal until 2025. It was he who invented Calhanoglu in front of the three-man line and thus gave the green light to the sale of Brozovic. And it was he again who put his trust in Dimarco. After 12 days Inzaghi looks down on everyone, even Allegri who has won six championships, and hopes that this will be the year of his first Italian title. In Turin he will have other answers on the matter.
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