Inter are playing for much more than just a spot in the Coppa Italia final tonight when they face Juventus, according to an Italian media report.
The Derby d’Italia will be contested for the third time this season in little under two hours’ time, with Antonio Conte’s side required to overturn a 2-1 deficit from their semi-final first leg at San Siro.
La Repubblica’s print edition argued that in addition to giving them a place in May’s showpiece event, victory for Inter in Turin would help the Nerazzurri shift the balance of power between the two clubs after nine years of undisputed Juventus dominance.
They are also competing to earn the approval of their supporters, with tonight’s losers set for ‘scorn’.
The report also explained how the clash at the Allianz Stadium was a meeting of two different coaching generations, with Conte looking to get one over his former player Andrea Pirlo.
This will be the third of four meetings between the two sides this season, with the final meeting set to come on the penultimate weekend of the Serie A campaign, which could prove decisive to the outcome of the title race.
