Juventus 1 Inter Milan 0
Leonardo saw the Nerazzurri lose for only the second time of his managerial reign in the Derby d’Italia continuing the visitors’ poor record in Turin, with the home side managing a clean sheet for the first time in 2011. Alessandro Matri’s header on the half hour proved to be the difference between these two giants, sending Juventus sixth and leaving Inter eight points behind Serie A leaders A. C. Milan putting their chances of retaining the Scudetto into further doubt.
Just four of Luigi Delneri’s starting XI were playing for the Turin club this time last year, with the much travelled Luca Toni partnering his fellow January transfer window signing from Cagliari up front. Leonardo picked the same team which took to the field in the remarkable 5-3 win over Roma last weekend. Unlike that fixture though this was a more tense affair with the message that today was a game neither could afford to lose clearly having been imparted to the players from their coaches.
Andrea Ranocchia again showed very little evidence of his high rating with another poor display at the back with Ivan Cordoba. Time and again he made errors which on another day would have cost him dear. It should be noted that the centre back pairing which won last season’s unprecedented treble, Lucio and Walter Samuel, are both out injured at the moment and it is one area of the pitch where there isn’t a lot of cover.
Juventus exploited this weakness and after ten minutes a Giorgio Chiellini cross, playing at left back the position he started his career in, was headed over by Toni. The visitors did look dangerous with balls over the top with Giampaolo Pazzini giving chase. The former Sampdoria favourite was wrongly flagged offside on a couple of occasions by the officials; such was Inter’s luck that these tight calls went against them.
Milos Krasic coming inside from the right wing gave the Nerazzurri problems with the ageing Javier Zanetti showing that three games in a week, including his one hundred and thirty ninth cap for Argentina against Portugal, was perhaps a little too much for him. Sneijder looked fatigued as well, failing to have the influence and impact the Dutchman had last weekend and on international duty.
Delneri’s side could not make the most of a 3-on-3 counter with Cordoba stepping up to snuff out the danger. The match winner came from Krasic’s ability to commit players. Both Zanetti and compatriot Esteban Cambiasso tracked him wide on the right and he laid it back to young Freddy Sorensen up from full back in space. A cross from the Dane was missed by Cordoba and that gave Matri the space for a free header which he put into the corner with Julio Cesar stranded to net for the third time in three matches.
Inter continued to have good possession either side of the break, but never seemed to do anything particularly creative or forward-thinking with the ball. Matri spurned another opportunity that would have seen the Turin outfit increase their lead eight minutes into the second half. Krasic provided the ball in, but this time the former Cagliari striker’s header was off target.
The Nerazzurri boss looked to Goran Pandev off the bench replacing the absent Kharja, but nothing clear cut came for the visitors until late in the match. After an encouraging display in the target man role, Toni was replaced by Vincenzo Iaquinta who offered nothing like the same outlet through the last quarter of the match. Matri took a blow to the ribs and was in some discomfort, but Delneri somewhat surprisingly kept him on the pitch. Claudio Marchisio who had kept Maicon’s forays from right back down to a minimum with the help of Chiellini on the left side departed for Simone Pepe and after Felipe Melo began to struggle he too was brought off for Momo Sissoko leaving no more substitutes at Juventus’s disposal.
A poor Sorensen back pass had Eto’o marauding in on goal from off the left wing, but Buffon was alert and came off his line to block an effort from the Cameroonian. Inter pressed for an equaliser inside the last ten minutes and again the home side were indebted to their goalkeeper. Sneijder’s ball over the top found Eto’o racing through again coming in from a wide position, but Italy's number one smothered out the danger. Despite playing through the pain Matri missed a further opportunity at the other end, volleying wide from Pepe’s cut back.
With a minute to go Eto’o unbelievably spurned a guilt edge chance, an effective open goal from four yards out was not found. A Maicon cross eluded everybody at the near post and the twenty seven goal striker came steaming in at the back stick, but somehow put his shot against the bar. It was a big let off for Juventus, but they hung on to secure what might prove a vital win come the end of the season and it could well be the difference between them settling for the Europa or making a return to the Champions League.
The Nerazzurri were not at their best today and problems at the back are apparent. This wasn’t exactly the most convincing display from their hosts either, with Barzagli and Bonucci having about the same experience as a centre half pairing as Inter’s defensive duo. The big names did not perform at the end of what has been a demanding week. This fixture was compelling evidence that there is at least something in claims that internationals are a tiring experience.
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