Juventus And Inter Go Into The Latest Derby D’Italia Under Mounting Pressure

Over the last 30 years, the Derby d’Italia (The Derby of Italy) between Juventus and Inter tends to fall into several categories in terms of high stakes.

The first is usually when Juventus are flying high and Inter are going through one of their frequently rough periods when things look on the verge of collapse; the second is the sporadic occasions when the roles are reversed, with Inter pushing for a title and Juve are lagging behind (like the last two seasons, for example); the third is when both sides are pushing for domestic supremacy and the pressure of Italy’s biggest game is heightened even more (1997/98, 2001/02).

But now there is a fourth category, one which hasn’t been seen too often: A Derby d’Italia with not much riding on it for both sides except for pride. This is the least high-stakes derby in a generation, with both not in contention for the Scudetto, and just making it into the Champions League again for next season would be considered an achievement.

Juventus are enduring their worst season in a decade, with the club already out of the Champions League and currently some 10 points behind league leaders Napoli. Max Allegri is under mounting pressure to turn things around, as his second stint in charge of The Old Lady hasn’t come close to resembling the first. Allegri was the first manager since Gigi Delneri in 2010-11 to finish a season trophy less, and the opening three months of this campaign has seen Juve look toothless and directionless, with no discernible style of play.

The abject failure of Juve to make it out of what should’ve been a relatively routine Champions League will cost the club more millions that can be ill afford to be lost. They really should’ve made it out of Group H along with Paris Saint-Germain, but lost five out of their six games, their worst ever performance in the competition.

They’ll now drop into the Europa League, but as anyone who pays attention to the finances of UEFA’sEFA
secondary competition knows, the rewards for a deep run in the tournament still doesn’t come anywhere close to the same kind monetary reward for a similar run in the Champions League.

Inter, meanwhile, have also experienced a rather odd start to the season. Unquestionably a better team than they were a year ago due to the comeback of Romelu Lukaku and their ability to retain all of their star players, Simone Inzaghi’s side have already lost the same amount of games in Serie A this season than in the entirety of last. They are eight points behind Napoli and have only faced two of the biggest sides in the league as of writing.

Consistency has been Inter’s problem, one good performance followed instantly by another mediocre one. Moreover, players have gone through hot and cold streaks, best exemplified by Lautaro Martinez, who has gone six Serie A games without scoring. Lukaku has spent more time on the side line than on the pitch since returning, costing Inter €46,000 ($45,500) per-minute on the field.

Defensively, Inter haven’t looked as secure as they had been in the last two seasons, with Milan Skriniar, Alessandro Bastoni and Stefan De Vrij all taking turns to suffer downturns in form.

Off the pitch, Italy’s two biggest clubs are swimming in debt, with the pair posting an eye-watering cumulative loss of €394m ($390m) for the 2021-22 season. Inter have at least trimmed their club debt down from the prior year, but Juve’s has actually increased, with the pandemic decimating both side’s ability to generate money.

Going into the latest Derby d’Italia, Inter seem the favourites given just how poor Juventus are, but over the years this fixture has been proof of the old adage that ‘form doesn’t matter’ in derby games. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Juve produce their best performance of the season, and promptly lose their next game to Verona in a meek display.

Yet one thing is certain, it’s a game neither can really afford to lose.