Juventus climbs above flaws, Inter Milan slips on its strengths

The day after the wild Derby d’Italia, Juventus celebrates a 4-3 win while Inter Milan faces tough questions about fatigue and mentality

It was a crazy Derby d’Italia between Juventus and Inter Milan, ending 4-3 and decided by Vasilije Adzic, who took advantage of a truly disastrous evening for Yann Sommer. The day after, Repubblica via Fcinter1908 analyzes the moment of both teams:

“Juventus climbed over its own flaws, left them under its heels, and entrusted its dreams to a 19-year-old. 

Inter Milan, meanwhile, slipped on the ridge of its strengths, now faded and pale. It suffered its second defeat in a row, again with the bewilderment of those who don’t quite know why — but must start figuring it out.

To Juventus’s reaction, Inter Milan could not respond. Juventus won because it wanted to: it may sound banal, but in this wild 4-3 that’s where the difference was. For Chivu, Inter Milan dominated (the theory of the game, yes, but not its practice), but in the end, he focused on the heart of the problem: ‘We need to do concrete things, not just beautiful ones.’ Beauty is innate in many Inter Milan players, but concreteness must be taught.”

From talent to substance: Inter Milan’s struggle for concreteness

“Inter Milan gave the impression of a team already exhausted, or even finished. It’s time to start having the courage to think about it.

It still holds up because it has players of great quality who know how to pull golden flecks from their mine of talent, but that’s not enough to be strong. 

The comeback in the second half was a combination of two factors: Juventus’s sudden fear of winning, retreating deep, and Chivu’s changes, which in one blow removed his two best players. 

Yet the entire old guard looks faded: they can handle the ball, but they do so with a dimmed spirit. Juventus, on the other hand, can set its soul alight with the smallest spark.”