Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini believes Inter are the favourite in the Italian Supercup Final and reflects on how the Bianconeri and the Nerazzurri reacted to Romelu Lukaku and Cristiano Ronaldo’s sales.

The veteran defender believes Inter are the favourite in tomorrow’s game, although Juventus’ win against Roma on Sunday can be a turning point for their campaign.

“We must be balanced, a victory like the one against Roma can boost our self-confidence and adrenaline,” said Chiellini.

“We must improve and work hard with humility and confidence. We know that details can make the difference.

“Inter have technical quality, they are physically strong and score many goals from set pieces.”

Where do Juventus need to improve?

“We disconnect too often during games, there are situations that should never happen, like against Roma when we conceded one or two goals in five minutes in the second half.”

Chiellini tested had positive for COVID during the Christmas break, but recovered a few days ago and will be available tomorrow.

“I am feeling well and I’ve trained well. My family and I feel ok. I’ve lost many Finals despite being the favourite because of some little details. I am happy to play at San Siro, a magnificent stadium, but it’s a pity that not many fans will be there.”

Juventus scored four goals against Roma on Sunday, but have been struggling to find the net consistently since Ronaldo’s exit over the summer.

“Cristiano used to hide some problems that we had. He was an important player. With a top player like him, it’s easier not to see problems.

“I expected a difficult season after his exit, but we are almost the same team as last season, with Locatelli and Kean and without Cristiano.

“We can reach our targets with hard work, but we should never feel inferior and not burn mental energies, which is something we were not accustomed to doing anymore. That’s the most difficult thing.”

Did he expect Inter to be the best team in Italy after Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi’s sales?

“Ask [Inter defender Alessandro] Bastoni what I told him in October when they were seven points off the top of the table.

“I said that only Inter could lose the Scudetto. Milan are in the race, but to me, Inter are the most complete team in Serie A. I may be wrong, but I’ve always thought they were the favourite for the Serie A title.”

Federico Chiesa sustained a knee injury against Roma on Sunday and has been ruled out for the rest of the season.

Two years ago, Chiellini suffered a similar injury and explained how his compatriot and teammate should face the coming months.

“I am sorry for Federico, I know what it means because I experienced the same thing two years ago,” the defender said.

“He can mature, become more man and come back stronger.

“We immediately noticed that the injury was serious. I was on the bench against Roma and I stayed closed to him like an older brother, there is nothing to say right now.

“Everything is very strange at the beginning, but the worst part is when you are close to returning to action. The body changes and you feel it so you need to adapt to it.”

 

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