Juventus secured a 2-0 win over Inter in Turin. Here are Lorenzo Bettoni’s instant reactions from the Allianz Stadium.
Solid Juventus, wasteful Inter
The Old Lady was lucky to avoid conceding in the first half when both Edin Dzeko and Denzel Dumfries didn’t find the target despite being just inches away from the goal. However, Max Allegri’s boys dominated in the second half, which they started with Adrien Rabiot’s fifth goal in 2022-23. VAR disallowed Danilo’s second goal but Nicolò Fagioli killed off the game by finishing another perfect counter-attack inspired by Filip Kostic. Danilo and Gleison Bremer were the standout performers in defence, helping Juventus keep their fourth consecutive clean sheet.
Fagioli: a star in the making
The Bianconeri starlet hadn’t started the game well, playing wide on the left, but he slowly found consistency and his performance improved as minutes passed. He killed off the match with a clinical finish, scoring his second goal in three games, the first one at the Allianz Stadium. Once again, Fagioli proved to be a unique player for Allegri, capable of covering multiple roles in the middle of the park, from deep-lying playmaker to Mezzala. A star in the making.
Inter’s collapse
The Nerazzurri dominated the first half. Juventus looked lost and, as mentioned above, the Nerazzurri had two huge chances to open the account, but neither Dzeko nor Dumfries could find the net from an excellent position. One would imagine more of the same in the second half, but Inter lost themselves, conceded the first through a counter-attack and were never able to get back in the game even if Lautaro missed another big chance when the Bianconeri were 1-0 up. Simone Inzaghi is now 11 points below table leaders Napolin and -3 from the top four.
Top
Gleison Bremer – Overall, the best player on the pitch. He blocked literally everything coming his way, playing as a real defensive leader. What a regret he must be for Inter who had been in talks to sign him for several weeks last summer.
Danilo – Another great performance from tonight’s Bianconeri captain. He also scored Juventus’ second goal, but VAR controversially disallowed it.
Filip Kostic – A bit like Fagioli, his performance in the first half was not unforgettable, but he was instrumental to Juventus’ win, delivering two assists, plus one for Danilo. An added value.
Flop
Denzel Dumfries – The first mistake was to miss an open goal in the first half, but his defensive performance was perhaps poorer as Juventus managed to find a lot of space down his flank, scoring twice.
Lautaro Martinez – He also missed a big chance when Juventus were 1-0 up. It was Inter’s only goal-scoring opportunity in the second half and could have changed the game. Fought hard as usual, but was not clinical.
Edin Dzeko – He wasted the first chance of the game, inches away from the goal. It was not a good night for the ex-Roma striker who also lost many duels with Juventus defenders.