Tonight Inter Milan welcome Juventus to the San Siro for an exciting Serie A fixture that could restore their scudetto hopes. Inter who have never lost a home game since Jose Mourinho took over almost 2 years ago, will go into this match with one eye fixed on next weeks Champions League semi final fixture against Barcelona.
This is a must win game for both sides. Juventus need to win this game if they are to keep their Champions League dream alive while Inter know that any slip ups can effectively end their title ambitions. Juventus coach Alberto Zaccheroni has maintained that he is only looking to avoid defeat. Of course beating Inter is something that will be quite difficult for the Bianconeri.
Not only are they struggling in the league, but Juventus is also facing tough times trying to convince some of its players to stay with the club. To make things even worse, recent media reports have identified Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez an heir to succeed Zaccheroni. This will definitely unsettle both the players and the technical bench.
Inter on the other hand have problems of their own. The Nerazzurri know that Juventus were the last team to beat them at the San Siro and they won’t want history to repeat itself. This will be Jose Mourinho’s 100th match in charge of Inter and he won’t take anything other than a victory to well. Even a draw won’t be enough as it will set Roma up for a golden opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the serie A table to 3 points with only 4 games left to play.
The only worry for Mourinho is Christian Chivu who is suspended while midfielder Dejan Stankovic who is carrying a knock is expected to start from the bench. Otherwise Inter are a full squad. With the Barcelona fixture expected to be a cracker, Mourinho might make slight changes in a bid to keep his key players ready for this clash. Up front i would expect to see Pandev and Balotelli partnering in attack with Milito while Cameroonian international Eto’o will feature as a late substitute.
Juventus will be boosted with the news of Diego’s return from injury. However, David Trezeguet, Antonio Chimenti, Zdenek Grygera and Sebastian Giovinco are all out. I predict a slender 1-0 win for Inter. That should be more than enough to keep the pressure on Roma.
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