An enthralling Derby d’Italia ended with Inter Milan claiming a huge three points as they edged out an impressive Juventus by a 1-0 margin.
It was a frantic contest right from the very outset as the yellow cards stacked up with unrelenting persistence. The Bianconeri, buoyed by a packed-out Allianz Stadium, were dominant in the first half but a soft penalty call – following VAR intervention – went against them and Hakan Calhanolgu eventually gave Inter the lead at the second time of asking.
His first spot-kick was denied by Wojciech Szczesny, but an encroaching Matthijs de Ligt, who made a play on the rebound, meant a retake was in order.
Feeling hard done by, Juventus were determined to restore parity after the restart but they were rebuffed time and time again by a resilient Nerazzurri rearguard. Chances arrived at both ends, but neither side could add to Calhanoglu’s opener as Inter all but ended Juve’s faint Scudetto hopes while reigniting their own by holding on for all three points.
Juventus 0-1 Inter Milan player ratings
Here are the Juventus player ratings from the derby defeat.
Goalkeeper & Defenders
Wojciech Szczesny (GK) – 6/10 – An encroaching de Ligt prevented Tek from making his fourth Serie A penalty save on the spin as he comfortably kept out Calhanoglu’s first effort. Juve’s number one was otherwise untested as Calhanolgu made no mistake at the second time of asking.
Danilo (RB) – 6/10 – Not much to comment on here. This was a typical Danilo showing: unspectacular but cool, composed and efficient. Perhaps could’ve provided more in the attacking third when Inter’s block deepened
Matthijs de Ligt (CB) – 6.5/10 – Brilliant in the air, and his supremacy in this regard allowed Juve to sustain pressure at various points in the contest. He also made a brilliant block to deny Calhanoglu in the first half.
Giorgio Chiellini (CB) – 6.5/10 – Similar to De Ligt. Wasn’t overly active, with or without the ball, but made some crucial interventions nonetheless.
Alex Sandro (LB) – 5.5/10 – A pretty quiet outing for the Brazilian, who rarely faced Denzel Dumfries one-vs-one in either phase. However, he struggled to have any impact in the final third, and there were times when Juve needed a reliable source of width down the left.