🔥 Inter v Juve: XIs compared⚔️ McKennie tops Barella, Lautaro-Yildiz👀 | OneFootball

The Derby d'Italia is here and, as often happens, it can shift the balance of the championship. On one side, Chivu's powerhouse, coming off 11 wins in the last 12 league matches and a 5-0 victory in Reggio Emilia against Sassuolo. 

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On the other side, a team on the rise, completely different - and more beautiful - than the first version of this year. Spalletti has elevated the individuals to a higher level and, as is normal, the whole team has benefited. Like in an orchestra.

The 1047 benches of the former coach against Chivu's 37, who despite this will look down on his colleague today. On the field, however, it will be a battle made up of many one-on-ones. 

Sommer 🆚 Di Gregorio: 50-50

A complicated challenge, because neither has had the best of seasons. Perhaps Sommer is better, on the rebound, but it's really close.

The reality is that both Inter and Juve will likely be looking for a new goalkeeper in June.

Bisseck 🆚 Kalulu: 45-55

We favor the Juventus player because the German from Inter has already shown in the past to struggle under pressure when the stakes are high. Additionally, Yildiz will be on his side.

"Pierino" Kalulu, on the other hand, is one of Juve's most in-form players, one of those Spalletti trusts blindly.

Akanji 🆚 Bremer: 49-51

This is a very tough challenge, as it pits two of the best defenders at a world level against each other. It would be an even match, but we pick the Brazilian for a clear reason.

If Akanji doesn't play, Chivu has De Vrij and Acerbi. Without Bremer, however, Juve loses a lot.

Bastoni 🆚 Kelly: 70-30

The Englishman has had a great season, winning over many media and fans in just a few months.

On the other side, however, there's the prototype of the modern defender. Bastoni is one of the few top players of our National team, one that the world's big clubs envy us. We need more like him.

Luis Henrique 🆚 Cambiaso: 51-49

Here we might find the zero band, meaning we expect very little from both. So why that 1% more for the Inter player?

Luis Henrique's recent performances have been convincing, and against Sassuolo, he also scored his first goal in Italy - a beautiful one - which could unlock him mentally. Cambiaso, on the other hand, seems lost.

Barella 🆚 McKennie: 45-55

Here too, as in Bastoni's case, we have a pillar of Inter in recent years, who has struggled against the big teams lately. Plus, there's the asterisk of the return from injury, which might present us with a Barella not at 100%.

In Juve, however, there will be McKennie, the man of the moment. Many Inter fans have pointed to him, and not Yildiz, as the number 1 threat, which says a lot about how much the American has grown. A complete player, experiencing an exciting form.

Çalhanoglu 🆚 Locatelli: 65-35

The best Çalha is among the strongest playmakers in the world. But what version will we see today at the Meazza? Like Barella, the unknown is the physical condition. 

The probable lineups have the Turk starting, which means he is well. If he plays as he knows, with Locatelli there's almost no contest. The Italian has grown a lot with Spalletti, transforming the Stadium's boos into a standing ovation. But Çalhanoglu does too many things with enormous specific weight: he defends, creates, takes set pieces, shoots. And he scores too, as seen in the first leg.

Zielinski 🆚 Miretti: 80-20

The Polish player's situation is a bit like McKennie's. Last year, Zielinski was almost a mysterious object, relegated to a substitute role. Today, however, he has returned to his best levels. It wasn't easy not to feel the absence of Çalhanoglu: he managed it indeed.

Miretti is less convincing, even though he has performed well when he played. Without Khéphren Thuram's forfeit, however, he would never play this match, at least not from the start. If Koopmeiners were to take the field instead, the discussion would change little: Zielinski all the way.

Dimarco 🆚 Conceiçao: 70-30

Conceiçao has all the characteristics to hurt Inter, but Dimarco is Dimarco. The performance against Sassuolo by the Azzurri winger once again certified, if there was ever any doubt, how much his presence makes a difference in this Inter. Like Çalha, he does many things and does them all well.

Beware, though, of Conceiçao: he is not having a great moment, but this could be his match.

Thuram 🆚 David: 60-40

Without his brother Khéphren, Marcus will have to take the Thuram stage all by himself. He too - like Sommer and Luis Henrique - is on the rise, as evidenced by his performance against Sassuolo.

And David? Well, 4 goals in the last 6 outings in the league are quite a calling card. However, a sacrificial game is expected for the Canadian.

Lautaro 🆚 Yildiz: 50-50

Very difficult, because these are the faces of the two teams. The captain of Inter against Juventus' 10: a beautiful challenge within the challenge. Lautaro has scored 4 goals in 21 previous Derby d'Italia matches, with the last one dating back to November 2023, a long time ago. The general feeling, however, is that this could be his night.

Yildiz, on the other hand, experienced a dream night last year at San Siro, coming on when it was 4-2 for Inter and equalizing with a double. From that moment, it has been a continuous rise for the Turk, rewarded with a renewal a few days ago. Chivu will pay more attention to him than Inzaghi did last season. Will it be enough to stop him?

Chivu 🆚 Spalletti: 40-60

We like everything about Cristian Chivu: his calmness, his pre and post-match statements, his consistency. But the Romanian is not just that. In a few months, the former Parma coach has proven to be a very prepared coach, ready to be on the most prestigious stages. His Inter is at times a wonder, and the atmosphere suggests that soon it could take the lead over the chasers.

Spalletti, however, since taking the reins, has confirmed what an extraordinary coach he is. A Juve struggling on all fronts, without a logical thread and with many individuals declining, has become a united team, with a rediscovered game and clear aspirations. Luciano has transformed the Bianconeri, so much so that one wonders where Juventus would be if Spalletti had taken this team in July instead of November.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.

📸 MARCO BERTORELLO - AFP or licensors