Prediction: Inter vs Juventus

Verdict: Away win

Best Odds: 19/20

Bookmaker: bet365

Heading into the high-profile fixture on the back of an embarrassing home loss to Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Inter Milan will have to show massive improvement if they want to prevent Juventus from winning at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. The Bianconeri already lead the chase in Italian Serie A and are now searching for their fourth successive league win.

Inter

New owner Erick Thohir and his associates have been working hard in an attempt to help Inter Milan return to old glory days, but they have yet to see the results of their efforts. The club board made quite an effort this summer as they secured the signings of Ever Banega, Joao Mario and Antonio Candreva, while Frank de Boer replaced Roberto Mancini in the dugout. Nevertheless, the Nerazzurri enjoyed a disappointing start to the new season, losing to Chievo on the road before sharing spoils with struggling Palermo at home. And just as the 2-1 away triumph over Pescara appeared to have helped the players restore the lost confidence, they were beaten at home by Hapoel Be’er Sheva in the Europa League opener, meaning it’s now back to the drawing board for Frank de Boer. Granted, the Dutch coach rested most star players in midweek, but that cannot be an excuse for yet another disappointing performance. We have to say that this team definitely have potential to challenge for top 3 positions this term, but summer recruits will need some more time to gel, while players that took part at the Euro 2016 finals are clearly not in the best shape just yet. It is for that reason that we doubt Inter will be able to match Juventus this weekend.

Team News

Frank de Boer is sweating over the fitness of star winger Ivan Perisic, but Cristian Ansaldi could be back in contention after recovering from injury.

Marco Andreolli is the only player in the treatment room at the moment, while summer recruit Gabigol has yet to join his new teammates.

Juventus

With five successive Serie A titles to their name, Juventus are clearly the team to beat in Italy, and it is now up to Napoli, AS Roma, Inter Milan and AC Milan to try and remove the Bianconeri from the throne. That will be no easy task despite the fact that the Old Lady have cashed in on Paul Pogba, as they went on and signed Gonzalo Higuain, Miralem Pjanic, Dani Alves and Marko Pjaca to further reinforce their ranks. It is no secret that Juventus plan an assault on the Champions League trophy, but they also want to remain the dominant force in Italy, and they have once again enjoyed an excellent start to the league campaign. The Bianconeri had by no means an easy fixture list as they faced Fiorentina and Sassuolo at home and Lazio on the road, but they dominated all those games and now lead the chase with nine points. Juventus suffered the first setback of the season as they shared spoils with Sevilla in their opening Champions League fixture, but they largely outclassed the Europa League holders and were quite unfortunate not to win. Even if he fielded a very strong side in midweek, Max Allegri has big enough squad to introduce new players and ensure the performance does not suffer, so we definitely expect Juventus to be in good shape when they face Inter Milan at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.

Team News

Playmaker Miralem Pjanic returns to the side after he was rested in midweek, while Alex Sandro and Juan Cuadrado could start as well.

Dani Alves faces a fitness test, whereas Stefano Sturaro, Claudio Marchisio and Rolando Mandragora remain in the infirmary.

Key Factors to Consider

• Inter won one of last nine competitive meetings with Juventus (D3 L5)
• At least one team failed to score in three of their last four meetings
• Juve won 13 of last 15 league games on the road (D1 L1)
• Inter have seven wins in last nine home fixtures (D1 L1)
• Mauro Icardi and Gonzalo Higuain have scored 3 goals each this season

Conclusion

Inter Milan may boast a strong squad, but they are far from the desired form and most key men are out of shape at the moment. Juventus, on the other hand, have already hit the ground running and we expect them to keep their 100% record intact.

Verdict: Away win

Best Odds: 19/20

Bookmaker: bet365