Former defender Andrea Barzagli believes Juventus–Inter is ‘more decisive’ for the Nerazzurri and is surprised to see Milan on top of the Serie A table.
A 2006 Italy World Cup winner, Barzagli is one of the most iconic defenders of the last decade. He won eight Serie A titles in a row with Juventus before retiring in 2018. His Juventus side dominated Italian football for almost a decade, but the 40-year-old believes that having a dominating team in the league is not good for Italian football.
“Balance is good and entertaining. A team that easily wins the league doesn’t attract people’s interest. I thought Inter could run away in January, but the table tells that everyone has limits,” he told Il Corriere dello Sport.
“Nobody has been consistent enough, which is key to winning. Napoli and Milan are doing their best. Inter and Juventus are slightly behind expectations.
“Milan are my favourite to win the title, but I’d say Inter in August,” he admitted.
“Despite the sales of Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi, I thought they had something more than the others. I saw the Rossoneri fight for the first four spots, not the very first one, but I was wrong.
“The team has improved under Pioli. They play good football and the club deserves the praise as well as they had to replace players like Donnarumma and Calhanoglu.”
How about his former club Juventus? The Bianconeri collected just two points in the opening four games of the season but are the best Italian team in 2022 and are unbeaten in 16 league games.
“Juventus were a bit unbalanced when Ronaldo left. He has a lot to give, not only in terms of goals,” said Barzagli.
“Also, Allegri found a team with a different mentality so he had to re-build. Juventus are different now, also thanks to the investments in Dusan Vlahovic and Denis Zakaria.”
So, what does he expect in the Derby d’Italia on Sunday?
“It’s more decisive for Inter than for Juventus. The Bianconeri had a slow start, but have been on the right path since December. A win would boost their title dreams although Milan and Napoli would still be ahead. It will be a crucial game for Inter. A negative result would deepen their crisis.
“Juventus have more certainties, despite the Champions League elimination. They are unbeaten in 16 games in Serie A. Inter have had highs and lows since January and must rediscover the fluidity that allowed them to climb to the top of the table.
“Vlahovic and Lautaro are two different strikers but are both very good. Defences will be crucial even if episodes often decide these games.”
Barzagli, 40, played 377 Serie A games in his career with Chievo Verona, Palermo and Juventus. He also won a Bundesliga title with Wolfsburg in 2008-09.
#Barzagli: '#Allegri ha dovuto ricostruire la mentalità. #derbyditalia? La #Juve ha più certezze, ma l'#Inter non può sbagliare…' https://t.co/nJojVhnnkE pic.twitter.com/bbcImAaeGW
— ilbianconero (@ilbianconerocom) March 29, 2022