An Italian Derby that was far too boring and which brought both teams a useful point
On the day of Bagnaia and Italtennis’ victories, Juventus-Inter decides in a very chivalrous way not to steal the spotlight to splendid successes for the Italian athletes. In Turin a boring and blocked match takes place, perhaps even more than what one would have expected. Few ideas, very few occasions, a lot of nervousness and the strong feeling that from the beginning of the second half both Allegri and Inzaghi gave the precise mandate to preserve the draw for as long as possible. In the end it is only the performance that shines Vlahovic e Thuram in an Italian Derby that probably won’t be remembered for long.
Juventus’ performance is decidedly tentative. It certainly doesn’t come into question solidity of a defense that almost always gives the impression of being impenetrable against the best attack in the championship. However, the feeling is that this Juve is always real too little in relation to its potential. It is difficult to say whether without the mistake in Dumfries the goal would have arrived anyway, but it is clear that it is only thanks to the verve and to the individuality of its two strikers that Allegri’s team can say have put their opponents in difficulty. The idea of the game remains almost completely absent and the number of balls kicked into the side by the defense is the symbol of the philosophy of a team prisoner of its whims.
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Inter’s match goes exactly as expected. Juve’s aggressive pressing and the Bianconeri’s coverage of spaces put a team in crisis that is never able to reason with Calhanoglu and has to deal with the bad game of Dimarco and Dumfries on the flanks. At difficulties in the midfield add to the absences in defense, where the lack of Pavard and Bastoni prevents Inzaghi from raising his center of gravity by twenty meters and setting up from low with clarity. In short, everything seemed favorable for repeating the bad performances of last season but the Nerazzurri have the merit of maintaining clarity and control of the game, wisely deciding not to force their hand too much and not risk a draw. Good performances from Lautaro and Sommer capable of instilling great confidence.
What a game Dusan Vlahovic had! Irrepressible in pressing, generous in coverage, ravenous in realizing the one-off occasion that happens to be available to him. It is performances like these that raise more and more doubts about the Serbian’s permanence in Turin: seven appearances as a starter they are definitely too few for a player who should be put at the center of the entire project and Allegri will sooner or later have to answer for this waste. Marcus Thuram instead he plays yet another great match and almost single-handedly controls Inter’s entire first half thanks to his dribbling and verticality which allow his team to maintain a low center of gravity without giving up offensive attacks. Inter are only dangerous when the ball passes through his feet.
Who benefits from this draw? Most likely both teams. Juve emerges unscathed from the match against the most informed team in the championship and remains just two points behind. Maybe though l’Inter returns to Milan with a very important tactical advantage: avoiding defeat and overtaking in the direct clash means avoiding the emotional setback of the defeat and the effort of having to chase a Juve that plays badly but which almost never loses.