Inter vs Juventus Tips: Nerazzurri to take step closer to Serie A glory
Inter remain on course to win back the Scudetto they lost to Napoli last season and the Nerazzurri will be eyeing another crucial victory when they welcome Juventus to the Giuseppe Meazza on Saturday evening.
Cristian Chivu's side holds an eight-point lead at the top of the table heading into this weekend's fixtures, an advantage that could be trimmed to five if rivals AC win at Pisa on Friday, so the Romanian tactician knows his side must keep their foot on the gas.
Visitors Juventus are 12 points adrift of the Serie A leaders and they arrive in mixed form, having won just one of their last four matches in all competitions and were dumped out of the Coppa Italia at the quarter-final stage.
Team news
The treatment room in both camps is generally light, with Inter missing only Denzel Dumfries because of an ankle injury picked up back in mid-December.
Having registered a fifth win in a row in Sunday's 5-0 triumph at Sassuolo, head coach Chivu may decide to name the same starting XI from that contest at the Mapei Stadium.
As for Juventus, Dusan Vlahovic is making good progress with an adductor issue that has kept him out since the end of November and he could be back in the first-team fold at the beginning of March.
Fellow forward Arkadiusz Milik has been sidelined since the start of the year with a calf injury and his rehabilitation is taking slightly longer than his teammates.
Tip 1 – Inter to win @ 49/50
While Juventus's form has been scratchy of late, Inter have moved up a gear and made it five wins in a row with a dominant 5-0 triumph at Sassuolo last weekend, giving them a healthy lead at the summit.
Chivu's troops have won their last three domestic matches at the Giuseppe Meazza, beating Lecce, Pisa and Torino, while they boast the best home record in Serie A with 28 points collected from 12 fixtures.
It looks like a tough ask for Juventus, who have lost two and drawn one of their last three visits to Inter, to head back to Turin with a positive result, given they haven't been at full flow.
The Old Lady were poor in the Coppa Italia defeat to Atalanta and they then needed a stoppage-time equaliser to draw 2-2 at home to Lazio on Sunday, evidence of their current struggles.
In front of a vociferous home crowd, Inter look capable of picking up the win and moving a step closer to a 21st Italian top-flight title.
Tip 2 – Lautaro Martinez anytime goalscorer & Weston McKennie to be booked @ 11/1
Key to Inter's success this season has been the form of captain Lautaro Martinez, who leads his club's scoring charts with 18 strikes in all competitions.
The 28-year-old Argentine has scored four goals in his last seven appearances and he can play another integral part in this contest by getting on the scoresheet.
You can complete this double by backing Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie to be booked. He was fortunate to escape a booking when making four fouls against Lazio - the third time in his last five matches he has made multiple fouls.
The USA international was cautioned for the fifth time this season at the beginning of February and he could fall foul of the official once again in a hostile environment.
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to change
