Inter Milan and Juventus battle for momentum in the Italian derby

MILAN, FRIDAY – The derby d’italia is always a heated affair and often plays a crucial role in the Serie A title race. The winner will receive a boost of motivation and confidence, which is crucial in the title race. This weekend, the Italian derby at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza also plays a crucial role, as Juventus could prove a stumbling block for Inter, who are currently at the top of the Serie A table.

If Juventus wins in the match on Sunday (15/2/2026) starting at 2:45 AM WIB, it could be a significant blow to Inter, who are currently in solid form, having not lost in their last 12 matches. The Nerazzurri have managed to bounce back and perform strongly since their 0-1 defeat to AC Milan last November. They have achieved 11 victories and only one draw when hosting Napoli in their last 12 Serie A matches.

However, Inter's solid performance still leaves some doubts, as they more frequently lose against teams currently in the top four positions, namely AC Milan, Napoli, and Juventus. Meanwhile, when facing mid-table or lower teams, Inter has always been dominant, including a comeback victory with a resounding 6-2 win over Pisa, and a 5-0 thrashing of Sassuolo last week.

However, when facing top teams, Inter often stumbles. They do not play poorly, but they frequently lose concentration, allowing winning opportunities to slip away. In the away match against Juventus, they stumbled and lost 3-4, similarly at Napoli's home ground, where they were defeated 1-3, and in the match at San Siro, they could only manage a 2-2 draw. Meanwhile, in the match against their neighbors, AC Milan, the Inter squad was deceived by the opponent's pragmatic play and lost 0-1.

This record places Inter as the team with the lowest points tally against teams in the top four. Cristian Chivu's team only earned one point from a draw at home to Napoli in January. This contrasts with the points tallies of the other three top teams in their head-to-head matches with the top four, each of whom managed seven points.

Inter's poor results against top Serie A sides remain a challenge for Chivu, as the trend has also persisted in the Champions League. Therefore, this weekend's Derby d'Italia is crucial for Inter to cement their status as favorites for the Serie A title. Inter currently top the table with 58 points, 50 points ahead of second-placed AC Milan, nine points ahead of third-placed Napoli, and 12 points ahead of fourth-placed Juventus.

A victory over Juventus will undoubtedly boost the motivation and confidence of Lautaro Martinez and his teammates as they face the remaining 13 matches, where they will still encounter AC Milan and AS Roma. On the other hand, the three points at home against Juventus are also crucial to maintain a favorable goal difference. Inter's current position is not secure, as with 13 matches left, their opponents can still catch up. This weekend, Milan has the opportunity to reduce the points gap if they win at home against Pisa and if Inter stumbles at home.

However, if Inter manages to win against Juventus, the opportunity to reduce competitors will arise, as in another match, Napoli will also face the strong opponent AS Roma at San Paolo, on Monday early morning WIB. Napoli is clearly eager to repeat their victory over Roma as they did last November. They view this match as a testament to their resurgence, after being humiliated by Juventus 3-0 last January. Following that dismal match, Antonio Conte's squad returned to winning ways against the underdog teams, Fiorentina and Genoa.

This weekend's big Serie A matches are in the spotlight of Italian league legends, including Gianluca Zambrotta. The former Juventus full-back believes Luciano Spalletti's squad needs to limit Inter full-back Federico Dimarco's movement. The Inter defender is extremely dangerous, often leading the way for goals. Dimarco has already provided 13 assists and five goals in Serie A, an impressive achievement for a defender.

"Juventus must limit Dimarco, who is making the difference at Inter right now. He's the best assist provider and is having a fantastic season. (Pierre) Kalulu and (Francisco) Conceicao must work on that on the wings. And then, Lautaro and (Marcus) Thuram against (Lloyd) Kelly and (Gleison) Bremer, it's a great partnership because Inter have an incredible attack, the best in the league with 57 goals," Zambrotta told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

In the final Derby d'Italia match of the season, Juventus will be without two of their key attacking players, Arkadiusz Milik and Dusan Vlahovic, who are still injured. Spalletti will likely field Jonathan David as the spearhead and Weston McKennie slightly behind.

"In my opinion, Juventus lacks a classic center-forward. Vlahovic is their number 9, like it or not, and right now Juve doesn't have a striker like him or Lautaro. A player of his caliber is crucial for a team like Juventus," said Zambrotta, who hopes Juventus will win at the San Siro.

Although Juventus is not at its best squad, Inter must remain vigilant, especially since there are doubts about the availability of Nicolo Barella and Hakan Calhanoglu. Both midfielders have been training, but their match fitness cannot be confirmed yet. If they are absent, Inter's midfield will rely on Piotr Zielinski, who is currently performing solidly, as well as Petar Sicic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

"There is no doubt that this match will be different, more difficult than others. It will be challenging; I expect high intensity, and in my opinion, whoever manages to control the game will win. If Chivu gives (game control) to Spalletti, he takes a big risk because Juve has players who are difficult for the Nerazzurri defense, especially the wingers (Kenan) Yildiz and Conceicao, who can force the wing-backs to retreat and create danger," said Inter Milan legend Giuseppe Bergomi.

The legendary former defender also reminded that Juventus plays with a faster and more flexible attacking pattern since being coached by Spalletti. This poses a serious challenge for Inter's defense to maintain concentration for even a second.

"McKennie is very important; he provides a different solution. And look at Locatelli's rotation, as he opens up space for his teammates on the wings. That was a movement that was thought out, practiced, and executed. You can see the coach's touch, which has given speed and strength to the team," stated Bergomi, who is one of Italy's best defenders.