One of the most highly anticipated fixtures in the Serie A calendar takes place at the Allianz Stadium as Juventus take on Inter in Saturday’s Derby d’Italia. There’s more than just bragging rights at stake as the eternal rivals renew hostilities for the first time in 2025/26.After going five years without the Scudetto, Juventus are eager to return to the throne this season. Igor Tudor’s side enjoyed a bright start to the campaign. They won both league matches before September’s international break.Following a 2-0 home triumph over Parma, the Bianconeri edged out Genoa 1-0 on the road, courtesy of Dusan Vlahovic’s second-half winner. Despite being close to leaving Turin in the summer, the Serbian striker scored off the bench in both pre-international break outings.Like their opponents, Inter got the new season off to a flying start. Indeed, they thrashed Torino 5-0 on Cristian Chivu’s touchline debut in Serie A. However, Udinese stunned San Siro into silence last time out, claiming a superb 2-1 victory.With that in mind, the international break came at an opportune moment for the Nerazzurri. Chivu has had a fortnight to rally his troops and prepare them for the 254th edition of this iconic fixture. Taking three points in the Derby d’Italia would be a statement of intent, yet it could be easier said than done.

Match Preview

JuventusIn addition to winning their opening two Serie A games, Juventus kept a clean sheet on each occasion. As a result, they could start back-to-back top-flight campaigns with three consecutive matches without conceding for the first time in the club’s history.Furthermore, another win would see Juventus start a new league season with three victories in a row for the first time since 2018/19. There’s plenty of reason for optimism, considering Tudor’s charges have won their last five home league outings, four of which via an identical 2-0 scoreline.As if that’s not encouraging enough, Juventus have recently dominated this match-up, losing just one of their last six league meetings with Inter (W3, D2). Another triumph may come ‘to nil,’ given that six of Juventus’ eight most recent home matches in Serie A have seen them win without conceding.However, Tudor’s defensive-minded football has made Juve’s games less exciting for neutrals. Indeed, only one of their last eight league games has produced three or more total goals.InterTurin has not been a happy hunting ground for Inter by any stretch of the imagination. For perspective, they have only won once on their last 12 league visits to Juventus’ home ground (D3, L8). Any hope of turning those fortunes around will hinge on their ability to fend off Juventus.Inter have registered a shutout in each of their last ten away wins in Serie A. Particularly stubborn in the opening stages, they have not conceded before halftime in any of their eight most recent league matches on the road. Despite such an impressive defensive record, they’ve emerged victorious from just three of their last six Serie A trips (D2, L1).There’s a piece of unwanted history potentially awaiting Chivu. He is at risk of becoming the first Inter manager to lose two of the opening three league games of a new campaign since Gian Piero Gasperini in 2011/12. Ominously, the former Atalanta manager was relieved of his duties in late September.

Team News

Juventus will be without long-term absentees Arkadiusz Milik, Juan Cabal, and Mattia Perin. Furthermore, Francisco Conceicao suffered a muscle injury during the international break. Andrea Cambiaso is not in contention due to suspension, meaning Joao Mario could be in for another start.As for Inter, Manuel Akanji could make his Serie A debut in the derby. The Manchester City loanee will likely take Yann Bisseck’s place at the back. His introduction may be the only change compared to the starting line-up that faltered against Udinese. Indeed, Petar Sucic should regain his place in midfield at the expense of Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Juventus vs Inter Potential Starting Line-ups

Juventus (3-4-2-1): Di Gregorio; Gatti, Bremer, Kelly; Kalulu, Thuram, Locatelli, Mario; Koopmeiners, Yildiz; David.Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Akanji, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Sucic, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez.

Juventus vs Inter Prediction

Despite hoping to lay down a marker in the early title race, Juventus may fail to take three points in this mouth-watering showdown. Inter didn’t impress against Udinese, but it’s hard to see them go back-to-back. As such, we expect a low-scoring stalemate on Saturday.Prediction: Draw