27 April 2019
Inter broke the deadlock after just seven minutes through a Radja Nainggolan strike, before Cristiano Ronaldo salvaged a point in the second half to see the Derby d’Italia end 1-1 at San Siro.
The Bianconeri came into the game off the back of securing their eighth successive Scudetto after having defeated Fiorentina last weekend at Allianz Stadium.
RADJA STRIKES RIGHT AWAY
Inter started the game by pressing Juventus’ backline with their aggressive and dynamic attacking play, and they quickly took the lead after seven minutes when Nainggolan fired in a swerving right-footed effort off a volley.
The hosts were going all-out attack and they tested Szczesny with efforts from Icardi and De Vrij in the opening quarter of an hour. Juventus’ first real shot saw Federico Bernardeschi receive the ball on the edge of the box from a Ronaldo lay-off, and he fired at goal only to see it go wide.
Luciano Spaletti’s side were certainly proving eager to secure a positive result, and they unleashed a series of attacking waves on the Scudetto champions. Massimiliano Allegri’s defence held out strong, as they denied the opposition repeatedly. On the other end of the field, Ronaldo fired an effort at goal from distance, but he saw it sail over the angular of Handanovic’s goal frame. Inter went into the break carrying a 1-0 lead after a dominant first-half display.
CR600
Allegri opted for a change just three minutes into the second half, by introducing Leonardo Spinazzola in place of Alex Sandro. Inter came close to doubling their lead in the 57th minute when Perisic fired a low drive from range that dipped just inches wide of goal, letting Juventus off the hook.
Allegri then brought on Moise Kean in place of Matuidi on the hour mark, and it spurred some attacking life into Juventus – due to the formation change to a 4-4-2 – as they found the equaliser minutes later through Ronaldo. The Portuguese enjoyed an exchange with Pjanic on the edge of the box, before then driving home an unstoppable ball that sailed into the near post from a tight angle. His goal was his 600th of his club career.
HANDS UP TEK
The goal seemed to open up the game at both ends even more. Perisic thought he had almost won the game for Inter after he combined well with Icardi inside the box in the 70th minute, which saw him cut to the left of the box and blast a venomous strike at goal. ‘Tek’ pulled off the save of the game by parrying the Croatian’s effort over the goal mouth.
Pjanic then forced Handanovic into making a good save minutes later when he launched an effort at goal on the half-volley. Szczesny was also called into action with ten minutes to go when he beat away substitute Joao Mario’s cross-cum-shot. Neither team could find the match-winning touch by the time the full-time whistle blew, as the game ended 1-1.
Inter XI: Handanovic; D’Ambrosio, De Vrij, Skriniar, Asamoah; Vecino, Brozovic; Politano (Joao Mario 79’), Nainggolan (Borja Valero 74’), Perisic; Icardi (Martinez 81)
Substitutes: Padelli, Gagliardini, Lautaro Martinez, Keita, Ranocchia, Joao Mario, Borja Valero, Cedric Soares, Miranda, Dalbert, Candreva
Juventus XI: Szczesny; Cancelo, Bonucci, Chiellini, Alex Sandro (Spinazzola 48’); Emre Can, Pjanic, Matuidi (Kean 60’); Cuadrado, Ronaldo, Bernardeschi (Pereira 86’)
Substitutes: Pinsoglio, Del Favero, De Sciglio, Barzagli, Rugani, Spinazzola, Pereira Da Silva, Nicolussi Caviglia, Kean
