Post by Taxigirl on Nov 27, 2003 9:55:59 GMT
Live on British Eurosport (7.30pm UK time)29/10/03
The Derby d’Italia is upon us and both teams go into this heated and often controversial encounter after a good run of League form, but how much will Inter’s 5-1 defeat to Arsenal affect them?
The two teams have met 146 times in Serie A and the Bianconeri have the upper hand with 69 wins, 37 draws and 40 defeats. Last season the home side ran out 3-0 winners in a crushing victory, but restricting this fixture just to Turin and Inter have not won here since a 2-0 result in March 1993. In the following ten trips to the Alps they have scored just once, with a Christian Vieri penalty.
Juventus seem unstoppable at the moment following eight wins in their first ten games, but there is a weakness that is not commonly seen in Marcello Lippi’s reign at the club. The defence is not as strong as in previous years, conceding nine goals already and keeping just three clean sheets against Modena, Reggina and Brescia.
Their record against the big sides is also not particularly impressive, having drawn 2-2 here with Roma and equalised with a late Marco Di Vaio stunner at Milan. These are the only two games in which the reigning Champions have dropped points, but it must be noted these are also the only fixtures against title contenders.
Alessandro Del Piero is easing his way back to full fitness and has pledged to score a goal in this fixture, but with the current scintillating form of Marco Di Vaio and David Trezeguet – netting fourteen goals between them – we could see the captain relegated to the bench for such a high-profile game. The former Parma man is on the form of his life with a goal on average every 68 minutes in Serie A this season.
The Derby d’Italia has always been a bitter affair and in recent years that ill feeling has only escalated. The infamous penalty that was not given to Ronaldo at the Delle Alpi, a deciding factor in Juve’s 1997-98 Scudetto win, remains the highlight in their ongoing feud. More fuel was added to the fire this week when Inter President Massimo Moratti mused, "I saw that another Juventus win was plagued by controversy. I would hate to see this kind of tendency continue." Director General Luciano Moggi hit back angrily and Lippi noted that "success tends to breed envy."
Things were looking up for Inter before Tuesday’s Champions’ League humiliation. The arrival of Alberto Zaccheroni finally instilled confidence and an attacking mentality to the side. The 6-0 demolition of Reggina was their third win in four games under Zac and his side has yet to concede a single goal in the League, grabbing eleven in the process.
However, the 5-1 home loss to Arsenal not only dented their confidence but also left them with some injury concerns for the trip to the Delle Alpi. Marco Materazzi seems definitely out with a muscle problem, while both Fabio Cannavaro and Christian Vieri are injury concerns.
Giovanni Pasquale may be given the nod again following yet another Francesco Coco injury – a slipped disc perhaps requiring surgery and a two-month lay-off – while Alvaro Recoba and Emre Belozoglu remain sidelined with muscular problems.
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Juventus (probable): Buffon; Thuram, Legrottaglie, Montero, Zambrotta; Tacchinardi, Appiah; Camoranesi, Nedved, Del Piero; Trezeguet
Inter (probable) : Toldo; Cordoba, Adani, Cannavaro; J Zanetti, Lamouchi, C Zanetti, Pasquale; Cruz, Vieri, Van der Meyde
The Derby d’Italia is upon us and both teams go into this heated and often controversial encounter after a good run of League form, but how much will Inter’s 5-1 defeat to Arsenal affect them?
The two teams have met 146 times in Serie A and the Bianconeri have the upper hand with 69 wins, 37 draws and 40 defeats. Last season the home side ran out 3-0 winners in a crushing victory, but restricting this fixture just to Turin and Inter have not won here since a 2-0 result in March 1993. In the following ten trips to the Alps they have scored just once, with a Christian Vieri penalty.
Juventus seem unstoppable at the moment following eight wins in their first ten games, but there is a weakness that is not commonly seen in Marcello Lippi’s reign at the club. The defence is not as strong as in previous years, conceding nine goals already and keeping just three clean sheets against Modena, Reggina and Brescia.
Their record against the big sides is also not particularly impressive, having drawn 2-2 here with Roma and equalised with a late Marco Di Vaio stunner at Milan. These are the only two games in which the reigning Champions have dropped points, but it must be noted these are also the only fixtures against title contenders.
Alessandro Del Piero is easing his way back to full fitness and has pledged to score a goal in this fixture, but with the current scintillating form of Marco Di Vaio and David Trezeguet – netting fourteen goals between them – we could see the captain relegated to the bench for such a high-profile game. The former Parma man is on the form of his life with a goal on average every 68 minutes in Serie A this season.
The Derby d’Italia has always been a bitter affair and in recent years that ill feeling has only escalated. The infamous penalty that was not given to Ronaldo at the Delle Alpi, a deciding factor in Juve’s 1997-98 Scudetto win, remains the highlight in their ongoing feud. More fuel was added to the fire this week when Inter President Massimo Moratti mused, "I saw that another Juventus win was plagued by controversy. I would hate to see this kind of tendency continue." Director General Luciano Moggi hit back angrily and Lippi noted that "success tends to breed envy."
Things were looking up for Inter before Tuesday’s Champions’ League humiliation. The arrival of Alberto Zaccheroni finally instilled confidence and an attacking mentality to the side. The 6-0 demolition of Reggina was their third win in four games under Zac and his side has yet to concede a single goal in the League, grabbing eleven in the process.
However, the 5-1 home loss to Arsenal not only dented their confidence but also left them with some injury concerns for the trip to the Delle Alpi. Marco Materazzi seems definitely out with a muscle problem, while both Fabio Cannavaro and Christian Vieri are injury concerns.
Giovanni Pasquale may be given the nod again following yet another Francesco Coco injury – a slipped disc perhaps requiring surgery and a two-month lay-off – while Alvaro Recoba and Emre Belozoglu remain sidelined with muscular problems.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Juventus (probable): Buffon; Thuram, Legrottaglie, Montero, Zambrotta; Tacchinardi, Appiah; Camoranesi, Nedved, Del Piero; Trezeguet
Inter (probable) : Toldo; Cordoba, Adani, Cannavaro; J Zanetti, Lamouchi, C Zanetti, Pasquale; Cruz, Vieri, Van der Meyde