Juventus were solid at home in the Allianz Stadium, defeating Inter Milan 1-0 and disturbing the Serie A order. With Francisco Conceição's go-ahead goal, the Bianconeri not only prevented their hosts from making good their opportunities and winning the top of the table, but also staked a strong claim as realistic contenders for title race positions near the summit.
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A crucial win
Inter Milan arrived in Turin knowing that a win would put them at the top of the league, ahead of Napoli. They failed, however. Juventus capitalized and took fourth place, marking an important milestone — having won three Serie A games on the trot for the first time this season.
The Bianconeri proved that they also have a great deal of heart left, and when they're at home, not many clubs leave without injury. Recent precedent favored them: in the last 12 league home games versus Inter, Juve had three draws and eight victories. It was no exception this time.
High tension and missed opportunities
As expected, the Derby d'Italia was an intense match from the off, with both teams cautious but ready to strike. Juventus were looking to dominate early, while Inter were hoping to exploit the gaps. Already two minutes in, McKennie pounced on a Çalhanoglu misstep and played in Nico González, who could only just fail to convert. A sign of things to come.
Inter responded with Mehdi Taremi, prompting a spectacular save from Di Gregorio. The visitors kept pressing and almost scored in the 42nd minute when Dumfries struck the post. The first half was scoreless, but the match had all the makings of a shootout decided by the thinnest of margins.
The game-changer
In football, it takes one moment to win or lose a game. This moment came in the 74th minute. Kolo Muani outpaced the defenders, performed a stunning turn, and played in Francisco Conceição. The Portuguese forward beat Yann Sommer first-time.
That is the milestone he has achieved, becoming part of an exclusive list of Portuguese players who have scored against Inter for Juventus, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Rui Barros. More importantly, he's proving to be a vital piece in Juve's turnaround.
Juventus stands strong
After getting ahead, Juventus dominated the game to the letter. And perhaps that was their best thing of the night. Inter was not to be stopped, committing to all-out attack, but Juve's defense remained tight, and Di Gregorio struck his big play when it was needed. The last real chance came in the 91st minute, as Thuram cut room in the box but saw his shot over the bar.
Thiago Motta made the right adjustments, firming up Juve's organization in the second period, reducing Inter's chances. The coach of Juventus summed it up after the match:
"In the first half, we were giving too much respect to Inter and giving them too much space. In the second half, we were more organized, more determined, and we took our opportunity. Winning gives us confidence for the future."
What this does to the standings
With this victory, Juventus now sits fourth with 46 points, keeping their hopes alive for a stronger finish. Meanwhile, Inter missed their shot at first place and remain at 54 points, trailing Napoli’s 56.