"Loyal" Nedved can make the difference as Juve face off against Inter Milan

European Leagues / Dan Fitch / 02 November 2007 / 1 Comments

Dan "The Betting Man" Fitch previews Juventus v Inter Milan, available on Betfair Live Video on Sunday at 19:30

Imagine if a team in England (let's say Chelsea), were found to be involved in a match fixing scandal and were promptly relegated to the Championship. What would be the chances of John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and the rest, sticking around to help their team back to the top flight? Before you could say 'money grabbing, unprincipled, mercenaries', they'd be off to the highest bidder and Roman would find himself another hobby.

When a genuinely big club, in the shape of Juventus, found themselves in this situation for real, their stars were not so quick to jump ship. Del Piero, Nedved and Buffon, like many men before them, just couldn't bring themselves to leave the Old Lady. But not all of the Juventus team stayed loyal to the cause and the chief beneficiaries from this exodus of talent were Inter Milan.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored 15 goals, whilst Patrick Viera brought his trademark athleticism to the midfield, as Inter romped to the Serie A title with 97 points. On Sunday night these two deserters and the rest of the Inter side travel to Turin to face Juventus, for the first time post-scandal. All the action can be seen via Betfair Video.

The fixture is referred to in Italy as the Derby d'Italia, meaning Derby of Italy, which refers to the fact that until Juventus' relegation, they and Inter remained the only teams to have never played below Serie A. It can also be attributed to the two sides being the best supported clubs in Italy. Whatever the origins, their respective Ultras have a healthy dislike for each other. Put it this way; it's a bit more spicy than Norwich v Ipswich.

Inter remain unbeaten this season and are just (1.41) to retain the title. This may seem a little stingy considering that they lead second placed Roma by just 3 points, but they do look a class above anyone else in the division. Inter's biggest test this season came when they travelled to Roma, who they ripped apart 4-1 (albeit with the help of the generous Giuly, whose handball got him sent off, whilst also providing Inter with a penalty).

Inter's away record is not perfect, having dropped away points to lowly Livorno and mid table Palermo last Sunday. They bounced back from this disappointment to whip Genoa 4-1 at the San Siro on Wednesday night, though Juventus also won handsomely, with a David Trezeguet hat trick the difference between them and Empoli. Trezeguet leads the Serie A goalscorers with 10 goals (2.92 to finish top goalscorer), over Ibrahimovic with 7 (4.3), though Inter tend to share the goals around, with Cruz, Crespo and even fat old Adriano having netted this season.

This strength in depth is Inter's trump card and it is not just confined to the forwards. It is unlikely that Patrick Viera will be fit to face Juve, but he won't leave a gaping hole, with Stankovic, Dacourt and Cambiasso all at Roberto Mancini's disposal.

Juventus have a more modest squad, but have recruited wisely following their promotion. Czech full back Zdenek Grygera and Bayern veteran Hasan Salihamidzic joined on Bosman transfers, whilst cash was splashed on Jorge Andrade, Vincenzo Iaquinta and Tiago. Such canny purchases almost make up for the fact that Jean-Alain Boumsong is a member of the squad.

The win on Wednesday saw Juventus move up to third place, where they trail Inter by 4 points. They can be matched at (11.5) to follow last years promotion, with a Serie A title, but I think it's at least a season too soon for them. However, the price may have trading potential, when you consider that they have no European matches this season, which in turn means less tinkering from the Tinkerman Ranieri.

Juve can be backed at (3.05), with Inter at (2.7) and the draw at (3.1). I can't see Inter losing their unbeaten record, but to be safe I'd go with a lay of Juventus at (3.1), rather than an away win. Whatever happens, it's good to have Juventus back in the big time and in the thick of things.

To watch this match on Betfair Live Video go to:

http://livevideo.betfair.com/

Comments (1)

1. Terry Jenkins | 05 November 2007

   Good read Dan.

   It was a good game yesterday but my cash was on an Inter win because I didnt take your advice about laying Juve, nevermind.

   Do you have any thoughts on who will be top scorer in Seria A?