This evening’s Serie A clash between Juventus and Inter Milan will pit the two most effective defenses in Serie A against one another.
Today’s print edition of Rome-based newspaper Corriere dello Sport, via FCInterNews, note the significance of the two Derby d’Italia rivals’ rearguard efforts in making this a potential title-decider.
Inter and Juventus are the two teams at the top of the Serie A table. And they are also the teams with the fewest goals conceded.
Inter have conceded just six goals so far. That’s a miserly record of a goal every other game across twelve matches.
And the Bianconeri are more or less the same.
Max Allegri’s team have let in just seven goals.
Whilst Juventus saw their run of clean sheets come to an end when they conceded in the second half against Cagliari before the international break, they had previously gone six matches without allowing a goal.
Juventus & Inter Two Outstanding Defenses In Serie A
It is therefore clear. The defensive efforts of both Inter and Juventus have been key in carrying them this far.
But that doesn’t mean that the pair have achieved this in the same way.
Inter, unlike their rivals, have also had the most prolific attack in Serie A.
The Nerazzurri have managed to find the back of the net 29 times whilst retaining their defensive solidity.
In theory this bodes well for Inter. It demonstrates how Simone Inzaghi has found the right balance between defensive and attack to get the best out of both, seemingly.
But, the Corriere caution, that balance is a fragile one.
Inter rely a lot on protecting spaces in front of their backline. And particularly in matches against direct rivals like Juventus, that is often a risky strategy to employ.
So this evening’s match could come down to whether that defensive effort by Inter holds, or whether Juventus can exploit vulnerabilities that few in Serie A have been able to so far.
