Derby d'Italia

Serie A Preview: Inter - Juventus
It's Derby d'Italia time and it could well have a major impact on the Scudetto race.....
Kick-Off: Friday, April 15, 2010, 20:45 CET.
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan.

Reclaiming Top Spot
Inter lost out on pole position in Serie A for the first time in six months at the weekend when Roma defeated Atalanta 2-1 at home to take advantage of their 2-2 draw with Fiorentina in Florence. At the moment Jose Mourinho's side have 67 points from 33 matches and are a solitary point behind Roma. The Nerazzurri haven't been in great health in the Italian top flight in the past two or so months as they saw their massive 11-point lead at the top of the table overhauled. The defeat to Roma at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome in late March allowed Claudio Ranieri's side to draw closer. However, Inter have started scoring again and that is a good sign for a side that struggled for a while to find the oppositions' net. The Italian champions lost to Juventus earlier in the season but they will be up for this game as they know that a defeat or a draw will virtually put Roma in cruise control. Moreover, with the current trials going on, the game will take an added sense of rivalry.

Champions League Dreams
Juventus' 2-1 win against Inter in December in Serie A had refurbished their Scudetto hopes at the time, but at the moment the Bianconeri are struggling to reach the fourth and final Champions League spot. Alberto Zaccheroni's side are currently sixth in the table with 51 points from 33 matches, three points behind fourth-placed Palermo. Juventus can still qualify for the Champions League, but for that they need to start winning matches. Even under Zaccheroni the Bianconeri have struggled to bag wins and were knocked out of the Europa League by modest English side Fulham. However, Juve have won two of their last three league fixtures and defeated Cagliari last weekend. Furthermore, they defeated Inter 2-1 when the two sides met earlier in the season in the league, although they did lose to Inter in the Coppa Italia soon after. Now, with the ongoing trails of Calciopoli, they will be even more fired up to defeat their arch-rivals.

FORM GUIDE

Inter
April 13 v Fiorentina (A) - WON 1-0 (Coppa Italia)
April 10 v Fiorentina (A) - DREW 2-2 (Serie A)
April 6 v CSKA Moscow (A) - WON 1-0 (Champions League)
April 3 v Bologna (H) - WON 3-0 (Serie A)
March 31 v CSKA Moscow (H) - WON 1-0 (Champions League)

Juventus
April 11 v Cagliari (H) - WON 1-0 (Serie A)
April 3 v Udinese (A) - LOST 3-0 (Serie A)
March 28 v Atalanta (H) - WON 2-1 (Serie A)
March 25 v Napoli (A) - LOST 3-1 (Serie A)
March 21 v Sampdoria (A) - LOST 1-0 (Serie A)

TEAM NEWS
Inter
Santon and Toldo are out while Sneijder and Muntari are doubtful. Chivu is suspended. Probable Line-up (4-2-3-1): Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio, Samuel, Zanetti; Motta, Cambiasso; Balotelli, Sneijder, Eto'o; Milito

Juventus
Caceres, Chimenti, Grygera, Trezeguet and Giovinco are unavailable for the trip to Milan while Diego, Salihamidzic, Del Piero, Felipe Melo and Marchisio are reportedly struggling with injuries. Probable Line-up (4-3-1-2): Buffon, Zebina, Cannavaro, Chiellini, Grosso; Sissoko, Felipe Melo, Marchisio; Diego; Del Piero, Amauri

PREDICTION
It is the Derby d'Italia and anything's possible; moreover, with the ongoing trials both sides will be fired up. However, Inter are stronger than Juve and have not lost at home in any competition this campaign. So a win for Alberto Zaccaroni's side doesn't look probable.

Inter 2-1 Juventus

Inter Coach Jose Mourinho Selects Squad To Face Juventus

Inter coach Jose Mourinho has selected his squad for the match against Juventus on Friday.

Cristian Chivu will miss the game through suspension and Davide Santon is out after having knee surgery earlier this month, according to the club's official website, inter.it. Francesco Toldo is also injured while Kenyan midfielder McDonald Mariga and Ricardo Quaresma were not selected.

Teenage sensation Mario Balotelli's once again gets the call, seemingly having put his differences with Mourinho aside.


Goalkeepers: 12 Julio Cesar, 21 Paolo Orlandoni, 51 Vid Belec.

Defenders: 2 Ivan Cordoba, 4 Javier Zanetti, 6 Lucio, 13 Maicon, 23 Marco Materazzi, 25 Walter Samuel.

Midfielders: 5 Dejan Stankovic, 8 Thiago Motta, 10 Wesley Sneijder, 11 Sulley Muntari, 19 Esteban Cambiasso.

Strikers: 9 Samuel Eto'o, 22 Diego Milito, 27 Goran Pandev, 45 Mario Balotelli, 89 Marko Arnautovic.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Inter will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Probable Lineup: Julio Cesar; Maicon, Lucio, Samuel, Zanetti; Motta, Cambiasso; Balotelli, Sneijder, Eto'o; Milito.

Lazio - Roma
COVERAGE ON ESPN FROM 18.20 UK
Stadio Olimpico

Brace yourself for one of the biggest Rome derbies of all time. Both capital clubs are in fantastic form and have a hell of a lot to play for.

Claudio Ranieri’s Roma aim to set the Eternal City alight with their fourth championship win. This Scudetto would be the sweetest of all given the adversity they’ve had to fight through this term.

Last week’s 2-1 victory over Atalanta, their fifth win in a row, allowed the Giallorossi to overtake Inter and establish a one point lead at the Serie A summit. I Lupi’s momentum makes them title favourites, but they could be chasers down the final straight if they don’t defeat Lazio. They may already be in second place by the time the derby kicks off as Inter’s game with Juventus takes place on Friday night.

As for bitter rivals Lazio their goal is simply to survive in Serie A. That said the Biancocelesti’s chances of suffering relegation have receded thanks to a five game unbeaten run under the tutelage of Edy Reja.

They’re six points clear of 18th place and should be safe. Nonetheless the prospect of harpooning their mortal enemies’ Scudetto hopes has the Aquile fired up to say the least, according to midfielder Cristian Ledesma. “Roma can expect to find in front of them the only team of the Italian championship ready to play the game of their lives and make the trip up of a lifetime.”

Lazio also have a very impressive record as the designated ‘home’ team in the derby. They’ve won the last three editions 3-0, 3-2 and 4-2 respectively.

Quite aside from all the subplots and issues at play however the Derby della Capitale is always its own special occasion, a fact Ranieri recognises. “When you meet Lazio it is always a separate game from the rest of the season and our positions in the table or even current form counts for nothing.”

Roma’s entire squad is fit and ready but Lazio’s Ousmane Dabo, Mourad Meghni, Cristian Manfredini, Pasquale Foggia, Francelino Matuzalem and Albano Bizzarri are injured.

Keep an eye on: Mauro Zarate (Lazio) – The little Argentine buzzbomb has had a dire season – three goals is a shoddy return from an €18m signing. What better way to redeem himself though than starring in a derby win that derails Roma’s Scudetto challenge? He’s already excelled in this fixture, scoring a screamer in Lazio’s 4-2 win last April.

Last five in Serie A: Lazio (W W D D W) Roma (W W W W W)

Last season: Lazio 4-2 Roma


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lazio (probable): Muslera; Dias, Stendardo, Radu; Lichtsteiner, Brocchi, Ledesma, Kolarov; Zarate, Mauri; Floccari

Roma (probable): Julio Sergio; Cassetti, Juan, Burdisso, Riise; Pizarro, De Rossi, Perrotta; Totti, Toni, Vucinic

Özil wrote:juve is just a dirty and shit club and deserve no cl qualification

Tarun wrote:And you seem to be an expert in deciding who should qualify for the CL or not? Whichever teams has the points to do so deserves to qualify.

And you are talking of qualification? Well, Bayern should not be where they are in the CL at the moment...the whole world saw that Fiorentina was robbed.

Özil wrote:juve is just a dirty and shit club and deserve no cl qualification

Forza Italia!Forza Milan! wrote:

Tarun wrote:And you seem to be an expert in deciding who should qualify for the CL or not? Whichever teams has the points to do so deserves to qualify.

And you are talking of qualification? Well, Bayern should not be where they are in the CL at the moment...the whole world saw that Fiorentina was robbed.

Özil wrote:juve is just a dirty and shit club and deserve no cl qualification

Hopefully you stuff those oxygen thieves. A Juve win would be so sweet. Ranieri winning the title would be even sweeter after all what Mourinho has said about him.

Forza Italia!Forza Milan! wrote:Ranieri winning the title would be even sweeter after all what Mourinho has said about him.

bluenine wrote:Inter squad....

Inter Coach Jose Mourinho Selects Squad To Face Juventus

Inter coach Jose Mourinho has selected his squad for the match against Juventus on Friday.

Cristian Chivu will miss the game through suspension and Davide Santon is out after having knee surgery earlier this month, according to the club's official website, inter.it. Francesco Toldo is also injured while Kenyan midfielder McDonald Mariga and Ricardo Quaresma were not selected.

Teenage sensation Mario Balotelli's once again gets the call, seemingly having put his differences with Mourinho aside.


Goalkeepers: 12 Julio Cesar, 21 Paolo Orlandoni, 51 Vid Belec.

Defenders: 2 Ivan Cordoba, 4 Javier Zanetti, 6 Lucio, 13 Maicon, 23 Marco Materazzi, 25 Walter Samuel.

Midfielders: 5 Dejan Stankovic, 8 Thiago Motta, 10 Wesley Sneijder, 11 Sulley Muntari, 19 Esteban Cambiasso.

Strikers: 9 Samuel Eto'o, 22 Diego Milito, 27 Goran Pandev, 45 Mario Balotelli, 89 Marko Arnautovic.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Inter will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Probable Lineup: Julio Cesar; Maicon, Lucio, Samuel, Zanetti; Motta, Cambiasso; Balotelli, Sneijder, Eto'o; Milito.

Murray wrote:Inter:
12 Julio Cesar; 13 Maicon, 6 Lucio, 25 Samuel, 4 Zanetti; 8 Thiago
Motta, 19 Cambiasso; 27 Pandev, 10 Sneijder, 9 Eto'o; 22 Milito.

Juventus: 1 Buffon; 15 Zebina, 5 Cannavaro, 3 Chiellini, 6 Grosso; 8 Marchisio, 4 Melo, 22 Sissoko; 28 Diego; 10 Del Piero, 9 Iaquinta

Should be an easy win for Inter

Özil wrote:is this inters line up for barca too?

L r dd wrote:Never a red calpolli all over again. ffs italy

Özil wrote:lol juve coach has already resigned

delpiero out, working horsefacking runner in

BoBo Vieri 32 wrote:

Özil wrote:lol juve coach has already resigned

delpiero out, working horsefacking runner in

bluenine wrote:

BoBo Vieri 32 wrote:

Özil wrote:lol juve coach has already resigned

delpiero out, working horsefacking runner in

Juve are all just facking runners