Italian Journalist Luigi Garlando: “Inter & Juventus Better Equipped & More Experienced Than AC Milan”

Inter remain better equipped to win the Serie A title this season than AC Milan, a leading Italian football writer argued today.

Antonio Conte’s side stayed two points behind the Rossoneri last weekend after both teams recorded comfortable victories on matchday 21.

Gazzetta dello Sport’s chief columnist Luigi Garlando assessed the state of the Scudetto race, which sees Juventus lying third some five points back – albeit with a game in hand – from the Nerazzurri.

“Inter and Juventus’ credentials are similar as they have the two best equipped and most experienced squads,” he wrote in today’s print edition.

“AC Milan are a younger team with fewer alternatives on the bench and on paper weren’t in the race at the start of the season.

“If they’re still top of the table, it’s because they’ve bridged the gap in individual quality with their collective and the spirit of their players.

“This is how the race will play out: on the one hand you have the solidity, physicality, ruthlessness, experience and depth of Inter and Juventus, the two favourites, with Cristiano Ronaldo and the Lu-La partnership.

“On the other you have AC Milan’s high-quality style of play, the enthusiasm around the club, the hunger of their youngsters and the star quality of Gianluigi Donnarumma and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.”

Garlando also touched upon the three title contenders’ star players, warning Inter and Juventus that they still had one big hurdle to overcome if they wished to topple AC Milan from top spot.

“Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic are both heroes for their respective teams,” he explained.

“But while AC Milan have had long spells without Ibra, Juventus haven’t proven yet that they can win without CR7, just like Inter haven’t without Romelu Lukaku.”

Inter face Lazio at San Siro on Sunday before the second Derby della Madonnina of their league campaign on February 21.

Before that, however, the Nerazzurri play Juve in the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final tomorrow night, with Conte’s side required to overturn a 2-1 deficit from last week’s first leg at San Siro.