Inter Milan were not able to take advantage of their opportunity to give themselves a cushion atop the Serie A table against Juventus yesterday.
Today’s print edition of Rome-based newspaper Corriere dello Sport, via FCInterNews, give their postmortem on the cagey 1-1 draw in the Derby d’Italia.
An Inter win yesterday would hardly have settled this season’s Serie A title race once and for all.
It is still only the end of November.
There are 25 matches left to go.
But if the Nerazzurri had gone five points clear at the top, it could have been a big psychological boost.
Going into yesterday’s match the margins were razor-thin. Inter have virtually no room for error – any dropped points would allow Juventus to potentially catch up to them.
The fact that Inter seemed to prioritize keeping the Bianconeri at arm’s length suggested that they were wary of allowing their great rivals to go ahead of them already yesterday.
And in truth Juventus also looked to be playing for the draw. Particularly in the second half.
But for Inter, it was still an opportunity to take control in the title race come and gone.
Inter Keep Margins Razor-Thin At Top Of Serie A Table In Draw Vs Juventus
In previous “big” matches this season, Inter have gotten statement wins.
The 4-0 and 5-1 victories over Fiorentina and AC Milan respectively were particularly emphatic.
The derby victory over the Rossoneri above all marked Inter out in terms of their Serie A title pursuit.
And then victories over Roma and Atalanta had a similar effect.
The margin of victory wasn’t quite as eye-catching in either of those matches. But the results only added to Inter’s momentum.
Yesterday’s match at the Allianz Stadium could have been a similar opportunity for Inter.
Instead, the match saw the Nerazzurri’s momentum halt, at least temporarily.
The draw was not necessarily a major setback.
But Inter have not taken the chance to put clear daylight for themselves at the top, the Corriere highlight.
