Juventus make a point against Inter as talk of title grows louder in Turin

On the eve of this 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’s the second leg [of a knockout game] and you already won the first.” Massimiliano Allegri found a way to be even more so, saying: “No. We need to play the match that starts at 8.45pm.”

Those replies were as inevitable as the question being posed. Neither manager could pre-declare a willingness to settle for a point in a game against their most likely rival for the Serie A title. Yet it was reasonable to think that outcome might suit them both.

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Twelve games into the new season, Inter sat top of the table with more goals scored and fewer conceded than any other team. A side who stood toe-to-toe with Manchester City in the Champions League final in June had carried over the confidence they developed on their European run and were playing the best football in the league.

Juventus were the only ones keeping touch with them, just two points behind in the standings. Their football was less compelling to watch, Allegri’s players regularly camping out in a low block and surrendering possession even to opponents from the bottom half of the table, but results vindicated their approach. Like Inter, they had lost only one game this season.

Allegri insisted they were not thinking of a title challenge, but nobody believed him. A few days earlier, midfielder Weston McKennie told Italy’s Sky Sport that “it’s time to bring the Scudetto back to Turin”.

A win over Inter could add fuel to that fire, but a draw would keep it burning almost as well. Leagues are not won in November and staying on Inter’s heels would keep players focused and motivated for less high-profile fixtures ahead.

Likewise, the Nerazzurri had more to lose in defeat than to gain from a win. Staying top and crossing one of the season’s toughest fixtures off the list could hardly be framed as a negative, especially with trips to Napoli and Lazio to come in the next three weeks.

It was natural, then, to expect a cautious game. For a brief and surprising moment, it seemed we might get something else. Juventus sprang a surprise by naming the 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 Serbian had initiated the attack himself, winning the ball from Denzel Dumfries in the middle of the pitch, pivoting to feed Chiesa on the left flank then galloping forward to receive the return ball and sidefoot it first-time into the bottom corner. He celebrated by cupping his ears and making a ‘keep talking’ gesture with his hands.

In moments like this, it is easy to understand why Juventus felt moved to agree a €70m deal to sign Vlahovic from Fiorentina at the start of last year. The physicality, acceleration and deft finish – making the correct choice for finesse over power – belonged to an elite category. Yet this was his first goal in 71 days. It is not some outside critic, but his own manager who has sometimes preferred to start Moise Kean.

Inter answered almost immediately, countering a fast Juventus break with one of their own. The goalkeeper Yann Sommer fed Dumfries down the right, he kept the ball moving forwards 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 front-post run perfectly to meet his strike partner’s low cross and sweep it into the far corner.

This was the Argentinian’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 prolific calendar year ever by an Inter player. Christian Vieri and Diego Milito reached 28 in 2001 and 2012 respectively.

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

The teams went in at the break level at 1-1. They might as well not have come back out. The second half was utterly without incident, the two teams combining for a single shot. La Gazzetta dello Sport’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 did not want to sign for a draw, but when one showed up on their doorstep it turned out that neither man was willing to turn its delivery away. “Last year we played an identical game but lost,” pointed out the Inter manager. “Staying in Inter’s wake will help us build self-belief,” said his Juventus counterpart.

On paper, it was a result to please their rivals as well. Milan had beaten Fiorentina earlier on Sunday, pulling back to within six points of the league leaders. Fans were even more excited to see a senior debut for Francesco Camarda, the youngest player ever to feature in a Serie A game at 15 years and 260 days old.

He has been on their radar for years. Verifiable goal tallies in football’s younger age categories are hard to pin down but it was reported in 2021, back when Camarda was 13, that he had scored 483 times in 87 games. 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 match since replacing Rudi Garcia as manager with Walter Mazzarri. The reigning champions may yet mount a stronger defence of their title 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 v Lecce, Bologna v Torino

Still, the favourites for now are the front two. Allegri can protest all he likes that Juventus do not consider themselves contenders, but his players continue to tell a different story. “The objective, mine and the one we say to each other in the changing room, is to win the Scudetto,” said Adrien Rabiot at full time.

Banned from Europe, they are free to make it their only focus. It is early yet to worry about league standings, but Juventus will nevertheless relish a chance to go top – for two days, at least – if they can beat Monza on Friday night.