Ranieri proud in defeat

Inter coach Claudio Ranieri praised his side’s performance despite their 2-1 home loss against Juventus on Saturday.

The Turin outfit inflicted a fifth league defeat of the season on Inter at the San Siro, with Mirko Vucinic and Claudio Marchisio scoring either side of a Maicon strike in an open and entertaining encounter.

But despite the disappointing result, Ranieri stated that he remains optimistic of a late title challenge.

“I am satisfied with the performance, especially in the first half,” Ranieri told reporters. “They scored with the only two chances they had.”

“We must not look at the table, because there are 84 points still available to gain. Surely it is better to win than to lose, but there are still many points to be won.”

“Are Juventus Scudetto-worthy? Yes, the side is working well. But I have not given up. The game was equal. All in all, I did not see Juventus dominance.”

Inter now turn their attention to Wednesday’s Champions League fixture against Lille at the San Siro, with Ranier’s side currently sitting atop Group B.